秘密はどこにでも (Himitsu wa doko ni demo)
by NightFall00
Summary: Keeping secrets has been the life Natsu's led for the longest time, but when that secret comes close to being discovered, he'd do anything to keep that from happening. Even if it meant going to some place where that secret would become no more than a distant dream. Chances are, though, he'll end up coming out with something much more valuable gained. OCs closed.
1. The Truth Behind Fantasy

Hello angry people who want to kill me for deleting two stories that you all really seemed to like, and I really have no_ good_ excuse, per se. My only excuse for deleting both of them, which is pretty dumb when you think about it, is because, like with a lot of my stories, there's nothing to really keep me interested in writing them, and I know there are going to be a lot of people who are going to say, "I told you so." A lot of you readers out there have told me that I'm definitely overworking myself, but I have to say that this is really not the only reason why I deleted both my newer Gijinka and Regular Elite. Part of the reason I deleted them is because of that reason above about overworking myself, another part is that the premise of both of those other stories forces too much onto my own character which is unfair to the rest of you, and finally, the characters I made for my own are definitely not in my repertoire, so I'm going to stay in my comfort zone until I know can actually work with a character like Altair or Setsuna, so I apologize. This is OC submission as always, and the form will be on my profile. Like last time, I will be accepting up to eleven characters, and the rest of this will be explained in the author's note below.

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN POKÉMON, BECAUSE IF I DID, GHOSTS AND DRAGONS WOULDN'T BE WEAK TO THEMSELVES.**

* * *

Prologue: The Truth Behind Fantasy

Have you ever noticed how reality always falls short of your expectations, and just doesn't seem to be what you expected out of whatever it was that you thought about? This isn't a rare thing to happen, in reality, and most people have felt that the reality behind something is never is good as their fantasy. The phrase, "reality can really but you out," is one that carries a meaning past what most of us can comprehend. It suggests that because humans look only at the end result they can never fathom what it would take to get to where they can envision the end result as, and in most cases, it's true. Human thoughts are fragile, and will often break at the slightest disappointment or roadblock, and the strongest man is seen as the one who is able to accept what the reality of something is, and not build it up only for him to be disappointed by the end result.

There are many stories that depict the lives of those in specific training academies that specialize in specific pokémon elements, or separate their students by the element of their pokémon; well, this is one of those stories, but of a different kind. At these schools that people like yourselves have read stories about, specific students are set aside as both the major characters, and usually share something in common; either they are all comparatively weak to the rest of the school, stronger than even some of the staff members, are all part of a specific student union, club, or some other kind of school function or element that all connects them; there is that in this story. And often, the main character is of one of two types; the weak persona that grows strong as the story progresses, or the strong persona where people are instantly drawn to him, and he is already skilled in what he does, and helps the other character; this story does not have this person…it has a person who is both. The young man that this story begins with is neither strong in his heart, nor weak in his ability, but instead a weak boy with the strength that terrifies everyone around him.

* * *

Reaching his hand out towards the table in front of him, the boy hesitated as the one in front of him gave off a confident look that sent a shudder running down his spine as he placed his hand down. As his hand glided across the table, ending, closer to the one in front of him, he slowly lifted his hand, and retreated it back to his side as the eyes staring at him, shifted from side to side, and made a single movement, barely noticeable, making the boy rub his temples as he let out a small sigh.

"Checkmate," the withered voice in front of him said, leading up to an aged man with a bald head, shaking limbs, and a cane in his right hand. "How is it you keep coming here and you still can't beat me in chess once, Natsu-kun?" he asked, readjusting his glasses as the boy in front of him showed next to no confidence in his own identity.

"Maybe I'm just not somebody who's really very good at anything?" the boy answered in question, the strands of his hair pointing at the ground and he kept his head down in defeat. "Or maybe you were just born to always win."

"I have Parkinson's and I'm living in an assisted living home," the man said, receiving a small chuckle from Natsu. "I don't think I'm really the one to talk to about being lucky, or winning. But every time you come here, it makes me wonder if this is the feeling that everyone else here gets when they're visited by their family. My family left for the other side of the world, and I haven't heard from them since."

"Does it feel as though I pity you?" Natsu asked, his head still down in near shame. "As though I'm just reminding you of what left before you could understand how much you missed it?" he asked, the old man laughing out loud, although left unheard by the other residents walking around the room.

"Not in the slightest," the man said, placing a shaking hand on Natsu's shoulder. "Whenever I see you riding down here on your bike, your hair flowing behind you, it makes me feel as though I'm being visited by a granddaughter who still bothers to remember her grandfather."

"Even though I'm a boy," Natsu said, feeling even more depressed, reaching for the different chess pieces, resetting the board for the old man he had been visiting for the past three years. "This hair has been my curse for as long as I can remember," he said, pinching a clump of the layered light brown strands, and running his fingers all the way down to where they ended at the same length as his shoulders.

"I believe it to be more of a blessing from Arceus," the man said, making the first move in the game, followed quickly by Natsu copying the same move. "Boys who can be easily mistaken as girls shouldn't be seen as cursed, but blessed that they understand the problems that both genders face, and are able to be the true counselors as opposed to those overpaid therapists that are always able to find something wrong with you."

"Trust me, there's not a shrink out there that wouldn't have a field day with me," Natsu replied, continuing the game, the depression in his voice ever present as he spoke. "With everything wrong with me, there shouldn't be any reason why I'm not six feet underground, and yet I continue to choose that there's something outside my life that would be changed if I wasn't here."

"There is," the old man said, moving his bishop piece across the board. "And it would be the happiness I gain from your visits. Looking at you reminds me of myself when I was younger, and truth be told, there were times I felt that my life wasn't worth as much as others continued to tell me. And yet, I've lived to this age of ninety seven, and the doctors that with my life, I am well on my way to living past hundred. Your life is too precious to me for you to disappear; because if you leave this world then there is no one to even remember me when I do pass on."

"You say I remind you of yourself at my age," Natsu said, keeping the conversation alive as he moved his rook in the path of one the old man's pawns. "How could I? I can never remind a man about their years when they were sixteen because I still look like I'm fourteen, at the oldest. I doubt there is even one man in this entire area that I could help remind them of days when they looked like me at that age."

"You amaze me, Natsu," the man said, continuing to play the game. "You see yourself as a cursed being because you don't look like everyone does, or did at your age, and you miss the point of what your face was created for; making others happy. In the years where you forget so much of your life, a person who looks like yourself would bring back the memories of just being young in any sense, regardless of how you look now, and how we looked back then. People who are able to preserve their youth are the people we wish to see the most because they remind us that while we are beginning to fade away, the world will still remember us in your memories, and your face will forever be a mirror for ours."

"Good to know how I can be of some use for the first time in my life," Natsu said, ramming his knight into one of the old man's bishops. "Aside from making you feel better about yourself when you kick the bucket, what else could I have a use for?" he asked, resting one of his arms on the table in front of him to support his head.

"Despite my being what you young people would call the wise elder, there is still much that is unknown to me, and the entirety of who you are, my young boy, is one of those things," the man said, sliding his queen piece across the table, and placing it in the center. "As far as I know, you are just a boy that visits me twice a week on the weekends in between your time in school, and you are a fairly prolific trainer yourself in the ways of ghost pokémon," he said, looking up, readjusting his glasses, to stare at two floating figures above Natsu. "That Lampent makes me nervous every time it comes here," he said, making Natsu chuckle as he moved his rook in the same spot where the queen stood, and removed it from the board.

"Check," Natsu said, the man looking back down at the board, finding that he was right, and that it was probably closer to the end of the game than Natsu was anticipating. "But I know you're right, and you have no idea of who I am outside of my life with you, and maybe that's for the best."

"You should be entering high school this year, right?" he asked, Natsu nodding as his answer. "Well, I think you should consider that school up the road where all the really great trainers go," he said, pointing towards a large steeple that could be seen from where both of them sat. "If you can make a good impression on them in there, you might have a chance to be a very successful battler in the future. You may even be able to take over a gym, or even become a champion," he said, Natsu almost bursting out in laughter at the notion.

"I admit I'm good at battle, but there's no way that I could ever become a gym leader, or anything higher than that," Natsu said, placing one more of his pieces towards the back corner of the board. "Checkmate," he declared, the man studying the board as he had to concede that his young friend had, indeed, finally won a game after three years of visiting him. "That school would never accept me anyway, I don't even have the confidence to show my face in battle."

As the man stared at the boy in front of him, both he and Natsu, along with a large portion of the residents heard a low rumbling sound as a large cloud of black smoke began to engulf the entrance to the nursing home, making way for a burly man, as devoid of hair as Natsu's friend, only he seemed to take pride in the fact, as it let off a gleam in the entering sunlight. As the dark smoke dissipated into the air outside of the entrance, the man was shown to be the basic example of a biker, with the leather jacket's sleeves ripped off, his jeans ripped at the knees, and his shoes tipped with actual steel.

"WHERE IS HE!?" he shouted at the top of his lungs, walking into the main room of the senior center, making sure to intimidate every person he walked by with that ever present evil sneer. "I KNOW HE COMES IN HERE TO PITY ONE OF YOU OLD GEEZERS! SHOW ME HIM NOW!" he continued, flipping over one of the tables as he reached the place where Natsu and his friend sat, the old man suffering from Parkinson's shaking uncontrollably, the biker thinking it was from him. "Scaring you, old man?" he asked, his voice finally coming down to a point where it was almost tolerable. "Then show me to him," he said as Natsu began shuddering at some of the artwork on the man's massive shoulder.

The biker noticed the small movement from him, and instantly let out another sneer, running his fingers along his cheek, assuming that Natsu was a girl. As the feeling of his massive hands made him cringe, Natsu made a large swallow that didn't go unnoticed by both his friend and the thug.

"Am I scaring you?" he asked, quietly into his ear. "Little girls like you should just be good, and then you won't get hurt."

"Leave my friend alone!" the old man shouted, the biker turning around, enraged by the old man's bravery as Natsu was able to relax slightly, but was met by a sight that horrified him; the biker was holding his friend at least three feet in the air by his collar. "If you're going to hurt me then do it!" he said, motioning at Natsu with a small flicker of his eyes as he began to back away to one of the back areas. "An old man like me won't quench your thirst like it would if you were picking on a young boy, though."

"Boy?" the biker asked, bringing the man to his face, spitting slightly as he asked the question. "That girl was a boy!?" he asked, definitely beginning to succumb to his rage. "ENOUGH OF YOUR GAMES, WHERE IS THE ONE I SEEK TO DO BATTLE WITH!?" he shouted throughout the rest of the nursing home.

"If you wish to see me, then turn around," a young voice instructed, the biker sneering as he turned around, finding a figure wrapped completely in a cloak standing in the passage to the hallway. "If you truly believe yourself to be strong for attacking an old man, why not try something who will surely best you?" he asked, motioning for him to come forward.

The biker scoffed, and threw Natsu's friend down into the chair below him, the latter almost down to the floor on his back, had it not been for a medium sized figure behind him. Turning around, the stone body of a Golett stood, straightening the man's chair, and walking back to its trainer's side. As the man looked above him, he found that the Lampent hanging on the ceiling was no longer there, but instead, floating by the figures shoulder. The old man smile slightly at the sight of the Lampent and Golett he had known for so long, but couldn't help be saddened, knowing full well who stood beneath the wrap.

"So, you are the one they call 'Reaper?'" the biker asked, the figure simply nodding as the former prepared one of his pokéballs, but seeing the one called Reaper hold up his hand to keep him from proceeding any further. "What now? Afraid?"

"Not in the slightest," Reaper answered, still refusing to move at all. "But I must ask that this conflict happen outside these walls as these people have nothing to do with your conflict with me. If you do not comply there will be no battle with me."

"Like I'm gonna listen!" the biker shouted, readying to throw his pokéball, but suddenly felt a heavy impact on his gut. Gagging slightly at the feeling as he fell down in front of the Golett as it returned to its master, the biker looked up at Reaper, and pointed an accusing finger. "That's a cheap shot!"

"You did not wish to fight on my terms despite you being the one to come to challenge me," Reaper explained as he walked towards the man. "You must be prepared to face any consequences that come with not complying to my terms of fighting. Otherwise, this will be the end result," he started, tilting his head for Lampent who slowly floated towards the biker. "Heat Wave…" he commanded, his voice dimming as he did.

As Lampent's body began to radiate more heat, it quickly released the power, producing a large wave of hot air that proved to be extremely dense on its own for the biker to withstand, trying to rise to his feet. As he finally placed one of his feet on the ground, holding himself up on the other leg with his knee, Lampent still forcing him back with the attack, never showing any signs of actual fatigue. Finding one last burst of strength in his legs, forcing himself to his feet, but then began to feel the entirety of the attack's force on his body. As he tried to shield himself, the biker found his arms to be too weak from bringing himself up to do any more, and was quickly knocked back down, tumbling out of the nursing home door, the residents turning to stare at Reaper.

"A wise man recently told that even when you may not think that your life is worth the time it took to create it, the memories of those you love will always be mirrored in your own face, no matter how much you may despise it," Reaper said, turning to face the old man at the chess board who waved goodbye as Reaper slowly walked out of the senior center.

* * *

Outside with the wind blowing on the rolling hills, Reaper stood in the center of the grassy plain, and removed the hood of his cloak, revealing his own face to be Natsu's who's expression dimmed all too quickly as he fell to the ground rolling on the ground while holding his head, both of his pokémon looking down at the pathetic face of their trainer. Both stared at each, and seemed to shrug their shoulders as this seemed to be a regular thing for him

"How could I be so stupid!?" he asked, rolling into a fetal position while gripping onto the grass in front of him, his eyes easily succumbing back into depression. "Since when did I have to get so noble!?" he asked pounding his fist on the ground, thinking of his friend. "How am I going to face him now?" he asked, small tears appearing in the corner of his eyes as he laid flat on the ground.

* * *

Like Natsu said himself, he wasn't exactly the most imposing figure out there, given his overall height, build, and facial structure was at least two years younger than his actual age. When he would stand, it would be close to five foot three, a fairly rounded face like a lot of younger children, and a build that was just beginning to actually develop. As described before, his hair was a light, almost sandy, brown color, and layered so his hair was brown on top and black underneath, reaching past the base of his neck towards the center of his shoulder blades, and the sides being the same length, reaching over his ears, but with the same style that made him appear as a girl. His bangs curled just over his sky blue eyes, and in them the only emotion you could feel from them was, as said several times before, depression. Natsu wore a pair of dark blue jeans that ended over his black tennis shoes, a grey t-shirt and a black blazer left open as he laid on the grass, both of his pokémon, Lampent and Golett, staring down at him.

* * *

"Don't give me that look," he said to both of his pokémon, despite neither having too much of a face to create expressions with. "I know what you're both thinking, and you're thinking that since I don't have anywhere else to go for school, I should just take his advice, right?" he asked, both of his pokémon giving a simple nod, as Natsu let out a small groan as he looked over at the sight of the large steeple, and only thought of the terror it would be should he actually go to school there. "Why do you guys always take his side?" he asked, both pokémon appearing as though they were chuckling.

As the three moved down the hill towards the steeple topped roof, Natsu couldn't help but look back up at the nursing home where we was sure the man he had seen as a friend for those three years was looking down at him, knowing full well who he really was.

"Please don't think any less of me," Natsu said, as though in prayer. "He helps me be the person everyone wants me to be, but am just not capable of becoming on my own. Had it not been for who the Reaper is, there is no way that you would ever know of me, and if it was really true that he is the greatest thing to ever happen to me, you, of all people would understand."

* * *

Back in the walls of the nursing home, the man, shaking uncontrollably from his conditions looked out the window with a smile as though he could hear what Natsu was saying. "You need the Reaper as much as the Reaper needs you, my friend. I had only heard of him in the news as a ruthless man of the ghost pokémon, and one that never shows kindness to any. When I saw that Lampent of yours join with him, I knew in my heart that nothing said about the Reaper could be true. You are different people, but you both are able to help each other; your kindness and humility, and his strength and confidence together are what will make you a whole person, my young friend."

* * *

Prologue complete. Obviously, this is back to my normal stuff with a bit of a twist in that I'm actually using the element of pokémon I want. For those of you that don't know me, I'm a big ghost type user, and in reality, I almost feel bare without one in my battling party whether it be Hades my Chandelure or Sparta my Golurk, I just love ghosts. My first technical pokémon was a Ghastly card, and my whole pokémon life has just revolved around the creepy dudes. So, obviously another twist is that I didn't explain a whole lot about the premise of this story, and that will be explain when I get the form up, and I know that some of you are going to tell me to get my act together, and to stop writing new stories and such, and I write this one with a solemn promise, that I will not write another new story until the release of the other generation six pokémon, because you'll know I'm just gonna go off on that like a frenzy. Natsu is definitely a character I'm more used to using, maybe a bit more depressed than usual, but the more effeminate males are starting to become a regular thing, and it's more of a psychological deal for me, don't ask me how it works, so just go with it. I like to put a bit of myself in my characters so I know something about Natsu will pop up in my life, so we'll have to see. Again, eleven spots open, and the form is on my profile. Until next time, ja nee.


	2. The Truth in the Lie

Hey guys, NightFall here with the first actual chapter of my new story, and I have to say that finally being able to give one of my stories a Japanese title fills me so much power that I feel like I could actually make this a legitimate anime, but then again, you all say that about my other stories. I think what makes me most excited about this story is how fast the OC spots filled up for this story, which, if my counting is right, a little less than eight hours. That could be for a number of reasons, like say, the fact I only was accepting eleven characters, my characters don't require as much as other forms, and they're easier to fill out faster, or just the fact that a lot of people like my ideas. I would like to say that when I'm writing these stories that I don't like to write simple ideas where it's just the situation, and has no plot devices right from the beginning. When they have them, it's easier to write out, and it makes the story more fun for you guys, hopefully. You've heard enough of me, so let's begin. Enjoy.

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN POKÉMON, BECAUSE IF I DID, GHOSTS AND DRAGONS WOULDN'T BE WEAK TO THEMSELVES.**

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Chapter 1: The Truth in the Lie

Have you ever felt like you had to lie for someone else in order to keep them from getting in trouble? Many people would call this an honorable gesture on your part, if not incredibly risky for the one that's been lied to. On the other hand, have you ever lied to keep yourself from getting in trouble? For any person, they would never see the act of lying for your own benefit would be the coward's way out. But why? People don't really ever understand how many double standards we create just because a few people decided that it would be the case. Lying in any sense is never the right thing to do, and while it may not seem that way at the time, the one you were to lie for will eventually come to thank you, if not find this to be a betrayal of your friendship. The choice to lie for someone else is never an easy one to make, but when you know it is wrong, it becomes all the harder to lie in good conscience when somebody makes the request of you. It is often thought that people lie for themselves because it's just easier to do something that would be between only you and yourself, but is that really true?

* * *

Sitting in the center of a large room, the back of the chair sitting high above his head, Natsu sat with his head angled down, and his hands gripping onto his pant legs. There was nobody in the room with him, only his Lampent floating above him, simply staring down at his trainer with a concerned look that would go away as soon as it turned to face some of the other features in the room. Lining the walls of the room were pictures of men and women, all with a stern expression on their face, most of the men suffering from male pattern baldness. A small chuckle appeared in his eyes as Lampent looked back down at his trainer, but found that he was still staring at the floor, his feet clutching onto the frame of the chair.

"Hey, Lampent," he started. "Do you think this was a bad idea?" he asked, the ghost and fire type staring down at him with a more indifferent expression. "This school has already been in session for a week, and I don't have any transfer papers," he explained, Lampent not reacting to anything, just allowing the young trainer to speak. "They wouldn't just let some random kid who came in off the street into this place like that, would they?" he asked, obviously counting his pokémon before they were hatched. "Why did I have to listen to Jii-chan's advised?" he asked, Lampent about to place on of its arms on the young boy's shoulder, but quickly jumped at the sound of a door suddenly opening.

Natsu reacted out of shock at the sound, and shut his eyes out of fear at the sound of the door slamming shut as four people walked around him, and stopped at the broad desk in front of him. Natsu kept his head low as looked up at the three people still standing, all staring down at him with similar stern looks matching the ones shown on the pictures lining the room, something which did not go unnoticed by Lampent who did a quick comparison of the two groups.

As the large armchair behind the desk turned around, Natsu was almost afraid to look up at the woman who sat with her legs propped up on the arm rest. Natsu looked up only slightly to see the woman as a young, much more laid back person as opposed to the ones around her, standing at about five foot ten or eleven. Her hair was a flaming crimson, rolling off her head, and reaching down to her waist, over her shoulders, falling over her chest. Her eyes were of a bright expression, and a similar blue color to Natsu's, and beamed down at the young boy who couldn't do anything to help himself look at them directly. For her age, the woman was fairly developed in her body type, to the point of being called, in some ways, overdeveloped. She was wearing a basic leisure suit of a lavender color, and then held out her hand for a file folder that one of three other people was holding.

"So, your name is Natsu Kohashigawa?" she asked, Natsu making a small nod, determined not to raise his head to her. "Well, Natsu-kun, we've been debating about whether or not you should be allowed to come to school here," she explained, which only meant to Natsu that some of them didn't want him here. "And we've decided to accept your transfer," she said, Natsu' looking up at her surprised.

"R-Really?" he asked, still embarrassed to look at the woman directly.

"Mm-hm," the woman said plainly, not finding anything special about what this would mean to Natsu. "You'll be living on campus here in the ghost element dorm, seeing as you told us about your other pokémon. It's probably one of the older dorms on this campus, so don't be surprised by some of the stories you hear, okay?" she asked as Natsu stood up slowly, and gave her a low bow, the woman behind the desk giggling at how Natsu was acting.

"T-Thank you," Natsu said, still not raising himself from his bow, not noticing the woman walking up to him, until he felt her hand on top of his head. "U-Um, what are you doing?" he asked, not raising his head, until the woman brought it up, and tilted his head up to face her, feeling her warm hand against his cheek.

"A small reward for making it in," she said, winking slightly as she pressed her lips to his forehead, Natsu's face erupting into a deep red color with a small puff of smoke coming out from the top. "You could also call it a charm for protection," she said, looking back down at him, and seeing him in the state he was currently in. "You can leave now," she said, not even seeing him for a second longer as he ran out of the room, his face still painted red.

As soon as he was gone, Lampent floated by towards the door, bowing to the others, who returned the favor, as he closed the door behind him. The second the door closed, the woman burst out laughing, almost falling to the ground in reaction to Natsu's reaction to what she did. Holding her gut as she walked back to her chair, she practically fell into it, still chuckling softly as she could still see Natsu's face in her mind's eye.

"He's cute," she said for the others to hear. "He'll be fun to play with while he's here, just to see how much he freaks out. Ironic seeing as he's the one with the ghosts," she said, the other members of the school board not as laid back as her. "Oh, come on, you spoiled sports, even you have to admit that seeing him freak out when I kissed him was hilarious."

"Are you sure it was wise to allow that boy in, though?" one of the three asked, the woman looking at them from the same position she sat in, her legs crossing over one another. "A boy with self esteem that low will not help our standing in the grand scheme of things."

"Not unless his being here helps to raise it up," the woman said, the other three suddenly impressed with her reasoning to allow Natsu in. "It's going to be easier to just view this as a child we have to pay more attention to, and if all goes well, this could turn into something really good for both the school, and for that kid. Besides, I want to see how much flirting he can really take before he explodes," she said, giggling with a wide smile on her face, all three of the men and women in her presence slightly concerned for the boy's sanity.

* * *

Outside of the main school building, Lampent slowly floated around the entirety of the perimeter of the building, eventually finding Natsu at the far end of the fourth wall, his head facing the bricks, Lampent flying as fast as it could to him. Seeing him thrust his head back and forward, Lampent stopped, and shot out a small fireball at the young trainer, shutting its eyes, hoping to not having to watch his trainer get hit by its attack. Fractions of a second before Natsu's face impacted with the brick wall, the fireball shot in front of him, making him instantly recoil, as he fell to the ground out of shock.

Turning his head to see where the attack originated from, Natsu wasn't surprised to see Lampent floating towards him with a stern expression on its face, much like a parent scolding its child. Natsu crossed his legs together, and just sat, facing where he was about to hit his head against, and moved his fingers over his forehead, still able to the small sensation that the woman left behind. With the thought coming back to his mind, Natsu's face immediately went back to red, and another small puff of smoke appeared out of the top of his head, surprising Lampent who saw his trainer passed out on the ground. Lampent's eyes were still surprised by what happened, and it almost seemed to be afraid to approach the boy for fear of what would happen, until he heard an easy breath coming from him, to show he was simply passed out.

Looking as though it were sighing out of relief, Lampent reached down, and clicked the release for Natsu's other pokéball, Golett emerging from the white light, and turning around to see the current position he was in. Sighing as it turned to face Lampent; it looked as though it were asking a question, Lampent simply nodding as an answer, a definite understanding coming from the two ghost types. Golett reached behind him, and hoisted him onto its shoulder, letting one of his arms fall in front of him. Golett looked up at Lampent who motioned for a direction away from the main building, the small golem following after the lamp, Natsu still asleep from his fall.

With Lampent leading the way for Golett, both ghost types suddenly stopped, left looking at what was probably the dorm slated for ghost type trainers. From what Lampent remembered the woman saying, it was an old dorm, but that word didn't do it enough justice; it wasn't just old, it was, in the eyes of any ghost type, beautiful. His eyes sparkling at the sight of the run down building, Lampent showed off a short shudder of ecstasy as it slowly floated to the door, motioning for Golett to open.

On the outside, the dorm seemed to be more of an old oriental style hotel, the curved style of the roof, the tiling, the sliding of the door to enter, and even the style of the carpentry involved seemed to remind both of the ghost types of the hotels they used to stay in with their trainer. Lampent, expecting to find a very gloomy atmosphere on the inside of the building, quickly flew inside without a second though after Golett slid the door open, but within seconds, his expression dropped with only one thing on his mind, "definite paradigm shift upon entering."

The inside of the dorm was definitely, for the eyes of any other, an improvement on the outside; every part of the furniture had been carefully refurnished, the welcome mat, per se, beneath Golett's feet was comprised of polished stone tiles, and a small rise was seen from where it stood to the actual floor, indicating to both ghost types that Natsu was going to have to take off his shoes upon entering. Helping Natsu ease his shoes off, Lampent did its best to place them evenly in the walkway, and place on a pair of slippers in the corner where he placed Natsu's sneakers,

Still disappointed by the scenery, Lampent helped Golett place Natsu on one of the sofas, the two ghost types looking throughout the interior of the dorm, seeing if anybody else actually lived there, seeing as there wasn't anybody walking about. With Golett staying with Natsu, Lampent floated through the interior of the dorm, quickly gliding up the stairs to check for any signs of somebody to help watch their trainer.

Quickly returning to the lobby, Lampent returned with no signs of anyone following, Golett shrugging its broad shoulders as it pressed the return button on his pokéball, becoming engulfed in the red light, shortly disappearing into the capsule shortly after. Hearing the closing of the lath in his pokéball, Natsu slowly stirred in his sleep, and opened his eyes, still slightly disoriented by the fact he suddenly fainted in the way he did. As he looked around at the interior of the dorm, he gave a similar expression of discomfort as Lampent did, but it probably had more to do with the fact he was far out of his element when it came to staying in a place like this with other people. Aside from that, the aesthetics weren't actually that bad. As he stood up, and stretched out his back, he didn't bother asking how he got here, already having a good idea from how his pokéball just closed.

"Find anyone else?" Natsu asked his companion, the fire type shaking its body negatively. "Okay," he said, walking towards the door that led outside, slipping off his current footwear, and reaching for his other shoes.

As he did, Lampent suddenly sprang into action, quickly gliding in front of the door to keep Natsu from moving any further, confusing the young trainer as he simply looked at him with that ever present dazed look in his eyes. Lampent, having stopped Natsu from venturing outside, turned around to face the doorway, as though he were waiting for something to happen. Natsu looked at his pokémon, wondering what he was waiting for, and within seconds of turning back to face the door with his pokémon, it slid open, with both Natsu and the person on the other side of the door surprised to see each other.

By comparison, the man was much older than Natsu, indicating to him that he wasn't by any means a student, but a teacher by the look of it. He stood at a very tall six foot three, towering over Natsu even if he was standing up, a broad build in his shoulders giving him a strong appearance. He was probably in his early to late thirties as opposed to the other teacher he had met, the headmaster, who was probably no older than twenty five. His eyes were a light green color showing through completely, as opposed to Natsu's whose were hidden slightly by his bangs. The man's hair was a black color, just beginning to show signs of graying, and cut short, so it barely went down his face. By comparison from the headmaster and this man didn't care about his appearance from his stubble beard, probably having not shaved for several weeks, and his clothes were definitely not in the best condition; a ruffled up sports jacket in his hand with the sleeves of his dress shirt rolled up, the ends of his slacks covered in mud along with the entirety of his shoes.

"Can I help you, jou-chan?" he asked, the indication of Natsu's gender making his head sink a bit lower. "Ah," he said, looking up at the Lampent floating above Natsu. "You must be my lodger. That headmistress of ours just told me about you probably about fifteen minutes ago," he said, just now noticing Natsu's expression. "Something wrong, jou-chan?" he asked, the comment about his appearance, almost acting as an arrow piercing his heart.

"I-I'm a boy," he said, the man tilting his body over, until his head was practically upside down, trying to look into Natsu's eyes.

"I don't know," the man said, walking into the dorm, and throwing his jacket on the couch as he passed by it. "You have a pretty cute face," he said, the continued, of what Natsu thought was, pestering of his physical appearance continuing to pierce him over and over. "In fact, I'd go as far as to say you're probably one of the prettiest sophomore girls I've seen since I came here ten years ago, and I've seen my fair share of pretty faces."

"Lampent," Natsu said, not facing his pokémon or the man, but the ghost pokémon placing itself adjacent to the large man. "Flame Burst," he said quietly, the man looking at Natsu with disbelief, hearing his voice go down by at least two octaves.

Before Lampent could make the attack, the man ran past the ghost type, making it blink several times out of confusion, slowly turning around to find the man holding Natsu by his shoulders, shifting his body to study every part of his face, determined to find some way to prove he was a boy. A small twitch appeared in Lampent's eye as the man turned him around, and placed a hand on his back, tilting him over. Before reaching down towards his feet, the man was met by a sudden blast of fire that flew past him, the expression of Lampent as though it were breathing heavily out of frustration.

"Look, but don't touch, right?" he asked, Lampent nodding as Natsu tried to stand, but the embarrassment from what happened was definitely affecting him. "So, you're the new resident of my dorm, huh?" the man asked, extending his hand to Natsu who had just taken a seat directly in front of him on one of the touch facing couches. "Name's Koichi Yamada," he said, gesturing towards his hand as Natsu slowly took it, and hesitantly shook it. "Well, this is gonna be fun," he said, standing up as he looked around the dorm. "All this time I spent fixing this place, and now I finally get a student to live in it with me. Too bad it had to be a trap," he said, the last part being spoken under his breath, but definitely audible to Lampent who already had an attack prepared.

"W-What do you mean?" Natsu asked, Koichi turning back to him, figuring that the meaning behind his words were implied.

"You're the only one living in this dorm as a student," Koichi explained, the information taking some time to process through Natsu's brain. "Is that gonna be a problem?" he asked suddenly looking down at Natsu, to see his face a bit more gentler, and less of the depressed look he had on since Koichi appeared in the dorm. "I'm gonna take that as a no," he said, answering for Natsu who looked around the dorm with fascination at the thought of being able to live alone away from people…with one exception.

"So, it's really going to just be me in here?" he asked, Koichi slightly confused at how excited he sounded.

"Yeah, but I wouldn't get too comfortable about the idea," he answered, Natsu suddenly freezing as he turned to look at the teacher, who had the same look that most people did when they were beginning to think of a fiendish plot. "See, I've been manager of this dorm for the past ten years, and back then, there wasn't a girl who wouldn't brave the graveyard to come to this dorm, for the sole reason of being close to me. But as the reputation of ghosts began to fall, so did the number of students coming into this dorm, and I've been trying to think of some way to fix that. And I think I've just found the perfect hook to get people coming back to my dorm, and it's about five foot three inches," he said, Natsu pointing at himself with a questioning look. "Exactly."

Natsu didn't stick around for too long, appearing to disappear from the room, but was quickly caught from behind by a single grab from Koichi, whose strength easily brought Natsu to his knees. Both turned around to face each other, Koichi's face decorated by a wide evil grin, his eyes simply glowing a spectral color leaving Natsu with the most terrified look on his face, forcing him down into a fetal position.

"That only works when you're trying to get away from a bully in elementary school, kid," he said, picking Natsu up with the single, Lampent following after what looked like a hunter bringing in the kill after a simple outing. "I would worry about what I'm going to do to you as much as I would about what others are gonna do," he said, Natsu suddenly freezing at the idea, several different possible outcomes beginning to form in his head.

* * *

Up the stairs of the dorm building, where all of the rooms were placed, Natsu found each side of the one hall lined with at least seven rooms apiece and one at the end of the hall he figured was Kochi's room. Walking towards the room at the end of the hall, Koichi used his foot to grip onto the grip in the side of the door sliding it open, and throwing Natsu onto the floor, and walking it, leaving Lampent on the outside, resulting it the ghost type to run into the door directly upon its closing.

"Now, my young friend," Koichi started, looking down at Natsu who has already retreated to the corner of the dimly lit room. "You are making this very difficult, you know, kid," he said gripping onto his foot, and pulling him back into the center of the room. "Now, as I saying," he began, instantly hearing a quiet scampering back to one of the corners, allowing a small twitch to appear in his eye as he looked all around the different corners for Natsu. "This'll be easier if you just give up. I won't be any easier on you if you don't comply," he said, Lampent obviously drawing the wrong conclusions from the syntax as it burst through the wood made into the doors. "Oh, this ain't gonna end well for me, is it?" he asked, Lampent letting out a hollow chuckle as it began to burn its own body before letting out a large Heat Wave attack, leaving the rest up to interpretation as to what happened.

* * *

Back in the lobby, Natsu was left sitting on the same couch, and Koichi sitting back in the one he sat in earlier, but covered in bandages from head to toe in various places. Lampent looked at him with a mischievous look, and a definite chuckle in its voice. Natsu, on the other hand, wasn't looking at Koichi who was probably incapable of movement, so stared straight on at the young boy, and was instead taking a more apparent interest in the carpet, gripping onto his pant legs.

"So obviously if Lampent gets the wrong idea, somebody gets it in the end?" Koichi asked, Natsu cringing out of embarrassment for his pokémon's actions, instantly falling to the ground, and bringing his face down to the ground in an apologetic stance. "Apparently it's obvious who wears the pants in this outfit," he said, Lampent showing off a small twitch in its eye out of annoyance. "I'll make a note of that for future reference when I bring up this plan again," he said, pulling out a small notepad, but finding it burned to cinders within seconds. "Touchy."

"I-I'm sorry," Natsu said still holding his head down even while sitting back up on the couch. "Lampent has always been a bit much for me, but I think it's only because he wants to protect me."

"You only think?" Koichi asked, Natsu looking up slightly from where he sat. "He might as well be saying outright if he could speak. 'Come near this trainer, and you will face certain doom at my flame,'" he said, Lampent's eyes showing definite consideration about the idea. "Anyway, I just want you to help me advertise the dorm. I wanted to know what _you_ think, and not what Lampent thought of the idea, but now that doesn't seem to be possible."

"Why do you want me to advertise for the dorm?" Natsu asked.

"Because a kid like you would draw in the girls like that," Koichi explained, snapping his fingers to estimate the time it would take. "Either that, or you'll be kidnapped within the first fifteen minutes, and appear a week later with rope burns, with either a smile or a traumatized look," he said, looking down, finding both Natsu and Lampent gone, and already heading for the door. "It was a joke!" Koichi said running back after them.

* * *

"So, are we all in agreement that because you have burned more than once, you should help me with the dorm advertisement?" Koichi asked, an annoyed look on his face, covered in more bandages, Lampent's body steaming from using more fire energy, and Natsu still extremely embarrassed for how his pokémon was acting. "Because something like this would be considered grounds for immediate expulsion," he said, Natsu cringing slightly at how loud Koichi was speaking. "If the other teachers actually paid any attention to me," he said quickly, pressing his index fingers together.

"Huh?" Natsu asked.

"It's nothing," Koichi said. "Anyway, we should probably discuss this over a bath," he said, picking Natsu up by the arm. "Another way to advertise this dorm is that it has the largest bathhouse on campus, BOOYAH!" he said, Lampent about to follow after them, but then began to realize where they were going.

Sitting outside of a large door reading bath, both Lampent and Golett stood, seemingly, watch as they listened to the movement of water on the inside, the sudden pinging of hollow bamboo rods against the rocks as the water they accumulated was released. After the sound finished echoing through the bathhouse, both ghost pokémon, weak to water by nature let out depressed sigh, not being able to protect Natsu from whatever it was that Koichi was going to do.

* * *

Inside the bath, Koichi stretched out his large arms out to the sides as he looked all around him, finding Natsu off in the corner, still washing his body. Sitting on one of the stools, Natsu, looked back at Koichi who waved to him, making him turn back around to focus on what he was doing. Scoffing slightly at how he was acting, Koichi turned back to look at the rock formation behind him, and then over at the rest of the scenery trying to find some way to get some conversation going, but from how Natsu was acting already, that wasn't shaping out to be too easy.

"So, where you from, kid?" he asked, Natsu not responding, as he put a towel to his back, and began rubbing it across his entire backside. "You want some help with that?" he asked, Natsu turning around slightly embarrassed by the notion. "Maybe not," Koichi said, thinking of what Lampent would do to him, water or no water. "Why don't I just tell you my plan?" he asked, Natsu not showing any objection to that idea. "So, tomorrow when you transfer into my class, I'm thinking that you'll become an instant hit with some of the other students, and they'll just flock to you," he said, noticing a tighter grip in how Natsu was holding his tower as he walked into the bath. "And then you just start inviting them to the dorm, and you show them how much better it is than a whole lot of the other dorms around here. I've been working on this place for the past four years, and I'd like to see it have some more people coming, even if just to hang out. What do you say?"

"But that's i-impossible for me," Natsu replied. "I-I c-can't talk to people like that," he said bluntly as he kept staring at his own reflection in the water.

"Tell you what, then, why don't I tell the people in my class you're lonely, and then they come to you?" Koichi asked, Natsu still shaking his head. "At this rate, it might just be easier to pass you off as a girl, and have the guys in my class just come to the dorm with some boxes of candy," he said, Natsu looking up at him with a worried expression on his face. "Well, you got the figure for it, not to mention the hair product, geez, what does your family make you wash with?"

Natsu didn't answer; he was more concerned with the fact that, except for his toddler years, this was the first time he had shared a bath with anyone, related or otherwise. As he stayed curled up, his knees up near his nose, Natsu kept the bottom of his face submerged in the water, as he kept looking at his reflection, Koichi still confused by everything about his new student. As he focused his eyes on just his face, Koichi found that everything about him was feminine, but he already had the evidence from being in the bath together that he was male.

Seeing the water drip from the loose strands of hair, Koichi couldn't help but try to reach out, to see if it was even real which didn't go unnoticed by Natsu. Reacting out of sheer instinct, Natsu thrust through his foot through the water, instantly connecting with Koichi, feeling only the cloth of the towel, opening his eyes to see the teacher floating with his face in the water, small bubbles appearing where he was trying to breath, apparently destroyed physical, and psychologically.

As he rose out of the water with a near demonic face, Natsu couldn't help but try to find some way to apologize, flailing his arms in all different directions, trying to force the words out of his mouth, but found that Koichi was more dead than angry. Cringing slightly at the now ever present pain in his nether regions, Koichi slowly rose out of the bath, and walked, his legs spread wide apart as he waddled across the bath floor. The journey from where he started, from in the bath, and from where he was hoping to make it to, the door leading to the dressing rooms before the bath was the most difficult thirty five feet that Koichi had ever walked, making Natsu lift up the corners of his mouth.

At the sound of the door closing, Natsu let out a large sigh, and sunk further into the water, soaking up to his eyes in the warm water counting on his fingers from one to ten. After completing one series to ten, Natsu started again, eventually going through ten different rotations from one to ten. After reaching the hundredth mark, he sunk down into the water completely, and resurfaced seconds later, his hair completely straight, parting around his eyes. Standing up from the water, Natsu made his way out of the bathhouse, and quickly got dressed into a plain white t-shirt and a pair of red and blue flannel pants before walking out, finding Koichi sprawled out on the ground, twitching, while holding his crotch in pain.

"Did I overdo it?" Natsu asked both of his pokémon, who nodded in agreement as all three made their way out of hallway, and towards the rooms on the other side of the dorm, hoping to find which one was slated for them, which probably was asking for too much, seeing as Koichi hadn't been back long enough to set one aside for him.

* * *

The next morning, Koichi woke up on the ground outside of the bathhouse, still only dressed in his towel, but with a blanket draped over his body, and a pillow underneath his head. About to drift back to sleep in the comfort from the pillow, he suddenly realized where he was sleeping, quickly lifting up his head and looking from side to side with a serious look on his face. Walking around the dorm while sticking as close to the walls as close as he could, as though he were acting as an espionage agent, he stuck his head out around the corner into the lobby, finding a small figure lying on of the two couches in the lobby with the Lampent above him also sleeping.

Slowly walking towards the sleeping form of Natsu, Koichi looked down at his peaceful face, as he gripped onto the ends of his blanket, a small smile on his face, finally finding a small amount of comfort. Koichi, despite still having a problem with the fire and ghost type sleeping at his feet, looked down at Natsu as he was his own child, placing a hand on his head, and ruffling his hair while he still slept.

"I knew you weren't a bad kid," he said, standing up, walking back towards his own room to change into his work attire. "So this is what it's like being a single person's guardian," he said, button up his dress shirt, and straightening the wrinkles in his coat. "You don't get this kind of feeling when you're taking care of a whole bunch of kids at the same time, right, guys?" he asked in the interior of his room, two ghostly presences appearing in the room, the first a large bulbous blue pokémon with a large white moustache, and the other having the basic design of a mummy case. "Maybe we should hold off making him advertise for the dorm, and just let him enjoy himself for a while," he said, running an electric razor over his face. "What do you think, Cofagrigus, Jellicent?" he asked, both ghost pokémon giving him a positive look, giving him a feeling of finally make a good decision for someone. "Better give him the good news."

* * *

Walking to the school with his position still hunched over, whether by his own tired nature, the fact he was still half asleep, or by the bag he carried in one of his hands, Natsu looked up at Koichi, noticing that he seemed to be in higher spirits than yesterday, but that may have to do with the fact that he hadn't suffered any burns at the hands of Lampent yet…emphasis on the yet. As they reached the main school grounds, Natsu began to stick closer to Koichi out of fear seeing as everybody he was able to see was definitely older, or at least older looking, and much stronger than him no matter what way you look at him.

"Don't sweat it, kid," Koichi said, patting Natsu on the back as they both entered the school building, the boy with the Lampent already receiving several stares from the rest of the student body he already passed. "So, the way this'll work is I'll let everyone know about your transferring into the class, I'll call you in, and then you introduce yourself to them, and that's it," Koichi explained, as the two reached the class he probably acted as homeroom teacher for.

Shifting his neck from side to side, he slid open the door as the rest of his class quickly stood up, bowed to him, and all let out a greeting at the same time in a young sounding chorus. The look in Koichi's eyes at getting the respect he felt he deserved filled him with a pride for himself that was definitely not apparent when he and Natsu were together. As he opened a file folder with every student's name, he began to go through the attendance, Natsu watching him through a small crack in the door, finding him to be much more competent than he made himself out to be from what he saw yesterday.

"Okay, for homeroom, there's really nothing except for the fact we're getting a transfer student," Koichi said quietly, the students suddenly turning to him with their undivided attention focused on him at the sound of that last word. "Oh, so now you listen to me for once."

"Say what?" one of the students asked as Koichi let out a large sigh, and prepared himself for how the news would be taken by members of a species who reacted at the smallest change.

"We're getting a transfer student," he said aloud, bracing himself for the oncoming delight from every student, but instead was met by a chorus of awkward silence. "This is obviously not one of those anime shows. Normally, transfer students are talk of the whole school."

"It's hardly transferring in when we've only been in school for a week," the same student said. "If anything, he's more of a later arrival, unless he just got accepted like yesterday," he said, the other students chuckling along with him, but suddenly began watching Koichi as he attempted to avoid the question altogether. "You're serious. Somebody actually managed to convince that flirt of a headmistress into the school," he said, Natsu already being reminded of the kiss he received yesterday, a puff of smoke appearing out of his head as he fell to the ground, Lampent quickly dropping down to the ground to his aid.

"Alright, Ryuzaki-kun," Koichi said to the student. "If you're done being a smart-alek, there are some things I need to warn you about when you meet him," he explained, many of the female students giggling over the thought of a male transfer student. "He's not very social, so don't be surprised if he comes off as distant, it's just because he's not used to being around a lot of people, and another thing, he's not exactly what some of you are probably imagining when I say the silent type," he said, confusing most of the students, although, if that first student was any indication that probably wasn't too hard. "You know, it'll probably make more sense if you just meet him. You can come in now, Kohashigawa-kun!" he shouted from where he stood, Natsu finally recuperating from his fainting spell, and walking into the room.

His head was angled down, most likely so nobody could see it very well, and from what everyone could see, some were confused as to why their teacher was referring to him as a boy. With Lampent following after him, many of the male students had become more enthralled by his partner pokémon than with the trainer instead. Being handed a piece of chalk, Natsu quickly wrote his name on the board, and turned to the other students in the class, his head still angled down.

"M-My n-name is N-Natsu K-Kohashigawa," he said, introducing him, unable to keep the stutter out of his voice. "Due to the wishes of my friend, I have transferred in here. P-Please look after me!" he said quickly, bowing quickly, making less than a ninety degree with his body posture.

From within the class, several of the students began chuckling over his introduction, and how blunt the last part was, the rest of the class joining in as Natsu could only perceive it as laughter directed only at him. As he shuddered out of fear, Natsu looked up at the sight of Koichi giving him a thumbs-up, showing him that everyone was satisfied with his introduction. As he lifted up his head, to look at the rest of the class, his hair lifted out of his eyes, and his face was exposed to the rest of the class, all of who quickly piped down at the sight of his fairly effeminate appearance.

"Wow," one of the students said, making a small rectangle with her index fingers and thumbs, as though making a picture frame to stare at him through. "He's pretty cute," she said, several of the other students of her gender agreeing as they did the same thing with their hands.

"Not just 'pretty' cute," another said. "He's _really _cute," she said as the male students in the class covered their ears, Natsu not understanding their reactions until he heard a giant squeal from the class, the entirety of the female students looking at him with longing eyes, some replacing their pupils with small hearts, and some looking as though they were ready to jump at him.

"_W-Why is this happening?"_ Natsu asked, trying to back away as far as he could from the class, but quickly finding himself up against the wall. _"Please, just leave me alone," _he pleaded in his head, hearing a clapping from Koichi's direction, calming all of the other students down.

"Okay, you can have your chance to meet him later," he said. "For now, we do need to get started with class. Natsu-kun, you can take that seat directly behind Ryuzaki-kun, hopefully he'll be easier to make friends with."

"_I doubt it,"_ Natsu said to himself as we walked towards the boy sitting on the window side of the room, one seat from the back of the class. As he walked up to the boy, he made a short bow as the boy just gave a smile and a passive wave as Natsu took his seat behind him.

"Judai Ryuzaki," the boy said, holding out his hand, Natsu hesitantly shaking it. "Nice to meet 'cha, Natsu-kun," he said, making Natsu feel slightly more at ease.

When comparing Natsu to Judai, one could find next to no similarities other than their gender and age, and even then that's sketchy at best. Judai, just based on his overall seated posture, could have easily stood at five foot seven with a build similar to Koichi's, muscular, strong, and with the overconfident look to match. Judai's hair was a midnight black color, spiking at the ends above his dark green eyes. Had it not been for the fact the two had different last names, Natsu could've sworn he and Koichi were related. Judai's body was of a natural skin tan, meaning he definitely spent more time outside than Natsu, and what intrigued the boy even more, was that lining his knuckles, Judai had a series of marks and scars. Like Natsu, his wardrobe was fairly simple, a white t-shirt underneath a short sleeved green button up shirt, a pair of blue jeans, and a pair of green shoes with red lace.

"N-Nice to meet y-you too," Natsu said, Judai finding his stuttering to be slightly amusing.

"Boy, if ya were born in the right time period, you coulda easily been one of those guys usin' that clickin' machine for, what ya say, Morse code," he said jokingly, Natsu letting out a small smile at the fun he could easily tell was be poked at him, but for the first time, he knew it was all in fun. "Knowin' Yamada-sensei, the class will get out earlier so we can get to know ya better," he said, Natsu suddenly freezing in fear at the current spot he was in…up against the wall where there was nowhere to run.

"Well, now that Natsu-kun has been settled, we'll get started," Koichi said, turning around towards the chalkboard, erasing the name Natsu wrote, holding a small textbook in his left hand. "If you'll please open your books to page seventy five, that's where we'll be beginning," he said, Natsu finding that he was left without a book to use. "You just look off with someone for now, okay, Natsu-kun?" he asked as Natsu nodded, instantly seeing Judai turn around with his book open, but was instantly cut off by the girl sitting directly adjacent to him, her book pushed towards the separation between the two.

"You can look off of mine, Nacchan," she said playfully, poking his cheek as he instantly backed as close as he to the wall. "Aw, are you afraid of me? I won't bite."

"Don't bet on it," Judai said quietly, receiving a glare from the girl and a worried expression from Natsu. "Oh, come on, even ya can tell it was justa joke," he said, looking back forward as Natsu was, more or less, left at her mercy, considering if she had any by this point, given Judai's constant patronizing.

* * *

For the rest of class, Natsu was left trying to resist retreating back to the wall, the girl next to him unable to keep herself from reaching out and grabbing his hand with a gentle smile on her face. By this point, Natsu wasn't sure if would be better if Koichi had ended the class right then and there so that he could just have this exercise in torture done with, or if he should've just toughed it out seeing as after class he would have to become the center of attention of all the students. Looking up at the clock above the door, Natsu found that if Koichi was going to end the class early it would have to be by this time, or it would lead right into the next class.

"Well, I think that this is a good stopping point," Koichi said, many of the students letting out a relieved sigh, Natsu, on the other hand, making a sharp inhale as the grip on his hand became increasingly tighter. "I think we'll leave the rest of class today so you all can get acquainted with our new friend. I'll see you later, Natsu-kun," he said, walking towards the door, sliding it shut behind him, and hearing the mass crowd flocking to Natsu. _"My apologies, my boy,"_ he said to himself with tears flowing out of his eyes, but looking towards the heavens. _"But a boy like you wouldn't have lasted any long with that girl cutting off circulation to your hand,"_ he said, placing an arm over his eyes, and quickly walking away.

* * *

Back in the class, it seemed that the majority of students interested in Natsu, who sat with his head facing the desk, and his hands almost trying to tear off his kneecaps, were female, with Judai being the only male student anywhere near them. Bombarded with questions of all kinds, Natsu's face continued to grow redder by the second as he tried to back away from the group but was instantly caught from behind by another girl.

"Thought you could run away?" she asked in a breathy tone down his neck. "You're just so cute," she said, wrapping her arms around him as tightly as she could.

"Careful ya don't squeeze the air outa him," Judai said from his desk, many of the girls turning to glare at him as the one before did.

"We're not going to hurt him," she said, looking down to find him gone. "Where'd he go?" she asked, Judai turning around to find that he had indeed found a way to escape.

As both Judai and the group previously around Natsu looked around in all directions, Judai couldn't help but let out a small chuckle as he could Natsu already by one of the two doors leading to the hallway, turning away, trying to find some way to turn attention away where he was. Natsu silently thanked Judai for keeping quiet, and quickly bolted out of the door, one of the girls noticing the slam, and put two and two together fairly quickly. As they all seemed to bolt towards the door, the group slowly approached it, reaching out to make sure that it wasn't booby trapped. Figuring it safe enough, the entire group went out into the hall, but suddenly heard the door slam behind them, making them all turn around to find nothing but the Lampent that followed Natsu around.

"Do you think he's angry?" one of them asked, a small flame appearing in front of it as they all moved back. "He's angry!" they all shouted, running away at the same time from the ghost pokémon, who seemed to be having the time of his life as it chased them down.

* * *

Back in the classroom, Natsu was left panting behind the door, holding the handle as he turned back to the class, returning to his seat. Judai, with an impressed smile on his face, watched as Natsu took his seat, letting out a depressed sigh, looking up at Judai. The two sat in silence, suddenly losing their serious natures, and both bursting out into laughter, Natsu including, his laughter being weak and small in voice, but definitely there.

"Man, that right there, that was priceless," Judai said, giving Natsu a thumbs up as the latter let off a small smile. "When ya ran back in here, I thought, 'He had this planned from the start,' and sure 'nough, here ya are with those girls running from a Lampent that's wound tighter than a clock."

"T-Thank you," he said, slowly bowing his head as they both heard a knock on the window next to them, finding Lampent outside of it, wanting to come back in. "And thank you, Lampent," he said, letting his pokémon in through the window, the ghost pokémon taken its place attached to the ceiling.

"That's a good friend you got there," Judai said, looking up at where Lampent was now resting. "Hard to find somethin' like that nowadays. How long you had him?"

"C-Close to seven years," Natsu answered, Judai looking impressed by the length of time the two had been together as partners. "A f-friend helped me catch him, and w-we've been together ever since."

"I take it that by the fact ya got him hangin' out of the ball means that you're the dorm head?" Judai asked, Natsu looking up at him confused. "Guess ya didn't know. Here, the school's got seventeen dorms, one for each element, and each one picks a kid to be their top battler for this big battle all around campus. Seein' as your pokémon is ghost, then you're the ghost head. Only the heads of dorms are allowed to have their pokémon out of the ball. And I know ya can't be from the fire dorm, 'cause that'd be yours truly," he said, pointing up towards the ceiling, another pokémon sleeping up directly above Judai, a few feet from Lampent.

Sleeping in a small hammock attached to the ceiling, the small pokémon left with its tail extending from the end of the hammock, its elbows sticking out the sides from behind its head. A small snoring sound could be heard from where it slept, and as the snot bubble extending from its nose popped, looked down, and fell down onto Judai's shoulder, who seemed completely unfazed by the sudden drop onto him. The fire and fighting type, a Monferno, gave off a similar feeling as its trainer did.

"So, Monferno, this is our competition, what d'ya think?" he asked, Monferno jumping from his shoulder, and onto Natsu's desk, the latter retreating back slightly at the sudden movement towards him. Monferno made a sudden fake towards Natsu who instantly flinched, but opened his eyes only to find that Monferno had jumped back up to his perch in the hammock with a disdained look in its eye. "He don't think you're gonna be much in the competition department."

"I-I figured," he said, the next teacher coming in for class, but finding half of the students gone, and surprised to find it was only the female half.

* * *

After the next two classes, the class returned to its normal state, the girls now looking at Natsu fairly cautiously, knowing full well what Lampent was capable of doing to any of them should they step some kind of line. By the time the bell rang for the third class to end, though, that fear had left, and things were back to the way they started out this morning, especially so when several of the students reached down into their bags for a boxed lunch. Within seconds of grabbing his own lunch, several of the female students flocked to him, knocking Judai over in the process as Natsu was once again surrounded.

"Want to eat lunch with us?" one of them asked, Natsu trying to avoid answering at all costs as he tried to retreat to the side, but finding another girl directly in that position, giving him no option for movement. "If you don't say anything, we'll just take you anyway," she said as two of them grabbed him under his arms, and ran out with him before the others even knew what happened. "Hey! That's cheating!"

"Instead of just givin' off empty accusations, it might be better to just go after 'em," Judai suggested as the group ran out of the class in hot pursuit, Lampent still asleep and oblivious to what was going on. _"This ain't gonna end well for the little dude, I can tell ya that much,"_ Judai said to himself as he looked out the window, not exactly too excited by what he saw approaching the school.

* * *

"Here you go, say, 'Aah,'" one of the two girls said, offering Natsu part of her food, cupping her hand underneath her chopsticks, the latter much too embarrassed by the notion. "Come on, don't be so mean, say, 'Aah," she said again, Natsu swallowing his pride as he opened his mouth, letting out a small moaning sound as he did, allowing the food to enter his mouth. "Aww, you're just too cute," she said, wrapping her arms around him as Natsu could barely handle anymore, turning around to find the second girl with him wanted to do the same thing.

"_Please, let this stop!"_ he shouted in his mind, turning his head away, only for the girl who had just fed him to turn it back to face the food.

"Say, 'Aah,'" the second girl said tauntingly as Natsu was left with no alternative but to take the food into his mouth. "That's a good boy," she said petting his hair, the two noticing small tears in the corners of his eyes. "Are we scaring you?" she asked mockingly, receiving an actual nod from the boy as both were left chuckling, but instantly stopped as they saw several of the teachers running by towards the front gate along with Judai leading the way.

"I'm pretty sure I saw him goin' for the front gate," he said as the headmistress followed directly after him, several other teachers, and Koichi being the last to pass by Natsu who noticed the three.

"You three better get inside," he said. "Judai said he saw somebody trying to get into the school. We don't want anybody hurt should he be able to get inside, unlikely as it may be. Those biker dudes can be pretty rough," he said, the two girls nodding, quickly packing their lunches with them, and running towards the school building with Natsu in tow.

The identity of the intruder's stereotype made Natsu turn suspicious instead, as the three entered the school, the two girls eventually let go of his hand, walking back to the classroom, talking amongst themselves about what kind of person would try to break into the school. As they turned back around to pose the question to Natsu, they instead found him to be gone, and nowhere to be seen. Figuring he made a wrong turn, the two went back to class, unaware that Natsu was instead, just behind the corner, darting off to the nearest isolated area.

"_I came here to keep his secret,"_ Natsu said to himself, reaching into his bag, having taken it with him ever where he went. _"But now it seems like his legacy must live on,"_ he said, fishing a large piece of long black cloth from his bag, quickly wrapping it around his body. "And so it shall," he finished, his face disappearing behind the shadow of his cloak, the only thing visible being a small smile that too disappeared into the darkness of the shroud.

* * *

Reaching the main gate, Judai, the headmistress, the other teachers and Koichi were all met by the sight of a man matching the biker stereotype perfectly; ripped leather jacket, tattoos on his arms, large beard, bald head, torn jeans, and overall disgusting demeanor. Before Judai, his Monferno perched on his shoulder, could walk any further forward, the headmistress stopped him, walking towards the biker from behind the gate, draping her arms through the bars, staring at the biker with a fairly gentle smile.

"Excuse me, sir, but this is a closed campus, if you wish to visit your child, you'll have to call in ahead of time," she said, the man on the motorcycle simply chuckling sinisterly. "And if you have any intention of coming in here to harm any of our students, I, Asuka Saruwatari, will not hesitate to send you back to the abyss that you dragged your butt out of."

"Humph, you think yourself strong enough to challenge me?" the biker asked. "I have battled with the likes of champions, and held my own, there is none out there who can best me in your school, and that includes stuck up teachers," he said, every teacher barely able to contain their anger. "I wish to challenge the man named Reaper to a battle, and I know he sits within these walls, acting as though he were a student. Bring him to me, and I will leave your precious school alone."

"If Reaper really does sit with us then there ain't no way in heaven or hell that we'd let a scuzzbag like you have him," Judai said, a confident smile appearing on his face. "If he's a student like the rest of us, I will personally protect him."

"Ha!" the man shouted. "The Reaper is too proud to accept the help of a lowly human like you, and you all know it. Reaper is on a level that no mortal man can obtain," he explained, Judai's own anger about to get the better of him. "He can defeat some of the strongest dark type trainers in the world with unevolved ghost pokémon. He has conquered the world of underground battling where the pokémon battle until the _trainer_ wishes to give up."

"We would never allow a person who battles so barbarically into this school!" one of the teacher shouted, incredibly offended by the mere mention of underground battling, seeing as it was an illegal practice.

"And yet, you allowed him into your school without knowing," the biker said tauntingly. "Just give him to me, and this will all be over."

"Like I said…" Judai started, suddenly hearing a sudden gust of wind blowing to the side, the biker turning to face it directly with a look of ecstasy in his eye.

"You want to face me again?" a darkened figure asked, nothing of his body visible, except for the fact that his height was definitely unexpected. "Then you will have your battle under the promise that it is a one on one battle, standard rules applying."

"It'll be less fun, but I accept those terms," the biker said, recognizing the figure Reaper boasted immediately. "Be prepared to accept what truly happens when you face off against the likes of me. Houndoom, let's show 'em!" he shouted, throwing a dark colored pokéball, releasing a black colored canine pokémon, decorated in demonic features.

"Golett, time for battle," Reaper said, flipping his cloak outward, allowing the ground and ghost type to show through, making Koichi look at it with a surprised eye. "You have the first move," Reaper said, beginning to back away from his pokémon.

"And so it shall be the last," the biker said confidently as the spectators, both in class, and at the gate, watched the tension rising in the battle. "Houndoom, Crunch, now!" he shouted as the dark type's fangs began to grow in a shaded light, charging at Golett who kept its same stance, its arms at its sides.

"Golett," Reaper began as Houndoom began reaching closer and closer to the smaller pokémon. "Defend in five seconds," he commanded, Golett nodding as it slowly raised one of its arms in defense, taking almost the full five seconds, Houndoom making a quick jump into the air, and diving down to take a literal bite out of Golett. "Now!" he shouted, Golett's body becoming hard as iron, almost exactly when Houndoom bit down on it, if not seconds before. "Mega Punch," he commanded calmly, Houndoom still biting down on Golett's left arm as it reached around with its right one, its fist now shining a spectral white.

With the connection made by the punch, Houndoom flew across the road, landing almost directly up against the wall surrounding the school. The biker looked back at Reaper who made no effort to move at all from where he stood, Golett still stuck in its position from the punch, slowly bringing itself back to a ready position.

"Iron Defense to make his pokémon more durable," Asuka began to explained, Koichi and Judai turning to face her. "Therefore he could lure it into attack him, and then using a punching attack while his Golett has the Iron Fist ability; Reaper-sama truly is amazing."

"_Sama?"_ both Koichi and Judai questioned in their minds as Houndoom stood up, having recuperated for the attack, and already making another assault on Golett.

"Fire Fang!" the biker shouted, Houndoom making another dive towards Reaper's pokémon, this time it's fangs engulfed in flames as it brought itself down towards the same arm it had attacked earlier.

"Strong as it may be, I cannot afford to let Golett be injured in the same place," Reaper said before snapping his fingers from within his cloak. "Golett, Dynamic Punch!" he shouted, Golett thrusting its fist back, allowing the power to swell inside of it, and focusing all of it into his fist. "Remember how to attack with it," Reaper said, Golett nodding as it closed its eyes. "Do not fight against the power, or it will fight you, and then the attack will never work. The power is your ally, but will quickly becoming your destroyer. Do not attack until my mark," he instructed, Houndoom seeming to move in slow motion as it came down on the ghost type.

"Ha! That attack only hits fifty percent of the time!" the biker yelled tauntingly as nobody else seemed to be sharing in his amusement, but instead were all looking at the attack exchange about to unfold. "You honestly believe that you can use a move that like!?" he asked, Reaper seeming to look up as Houndoom was now inches from Golett.

"I do," he answered plainly. "Give yourself to the power, Golett!" he shouted, Golett relaxing its stance, the power becoming too much to contain for the small homunculus to hold through brute strength alone.

Its arm, had it not been attached, would have fallen off from the quick circular motion it made from the attack, making a full three hundred sixty degree turn before its punch was now completely parallel to Houndoom. With the punch connection, Golett managed to carry Houndoom with it as it spun around once more, launching the dark and fire type towards the wall, this time making the connection with the stone. Fainting almost instantly, the biker looked at the small Golett surprised by the power it had exuded in that one shot. Falling to his knees, the biker looked up at Reaper with a small chuckle as the shaded trainer walked towards him.

"You really do have the power to defeat anyone with even unevolved pokémon," he said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "But at least give me the pleasure of…" he said, reaching for the top of his hood. "…Learning who you are!" he shouted triumphantly, about to rip off the cloak from Reaper's face, but not before feeling a sharp burn of pain against his gut, much like he did from the last time he had tried to battle the mysterious trainer.

As he fell to the ground, the biker made way for the identity of his attacker to be made clear. Instead of being attacked again by Golett with a punch to the gut, the blow was delivered from the fist of the Monferno originally on Judai's shoulder. Reaper turned his non-existent face to face Judai who gave off a cocky smile as he was leaning up against the gate.

"I always thought ya were a pompous battler with no real morals, ya know," Judai said. "But now I see you're more of a man than most people could ever hope to be. That's why I protected yer secret. We all got 'em, and we all wanna protect 'em. Just know that one of these days, it'd gonna be me that takes off the mask ya hide behind."

"I look forward to the day," Reaper said, returning Golett to its ball, and quickly disappearing into the wind.

* * *

Later in the afternoon approaching the evening, after having the rest of classes cancelled for the day given what had happened, Natsu was left walking by himself towards the ghost dorm, Lampent following after him, many of the other students still fawning over his looks as he passed by them, eventually reaching the old hotel. As he walked in, he was quickly met by Koichi in the entrance, tapping his foot expectantly as he tried to look away. He tried walking past him, but was quickly caught by four ghostly hands from Koichi's Cofagrigus, and forced to look back at his teacher.

"So, have a good day after I left?" he asked, Natsu nodding promptly. "Aside from the fact that you were almost ganged up on by a couple of girls, it was pretty good, right?" he asked, Natsu still nodding in agreement. "Hey, did you hear that somebody tried to break into the school thinking that we actually had the mysterious masked battler Reaper in our doors?" he continued asked, as though interrogating Natsu, who tried to look away. "How can it be that you, a kid you probably can't even look a regular person in the eye, is the infamous Reaper?" he asked, Natsu continuing to struggle against Cofagrigus' arms. "Answer me, Natsu!" he shouted.

"Leave me alone!" Natsu shouted at the top of his lungs, surprising both Cofagrigus and Koichi both enough to break out of the ghost type's grip, and run towards the upstairs rooms, quickly locking himself into the first one he could find. Already knowing that Koichi was by the door, he held his head in between his hands Lampent looking down at his trainer with definite pity. "Everything hear is so scary!" he shouted, tears coming down his face. "All those girls hanging around me, everyone is so much bigger and stronger, people who don't think I'm a boy, and then people who keep coming to Reaper for a battle! I hate my life!" he continued. "I don't want Reaper to be in my body, and I don't want people looking at me when they know he's finally in this body! I don't want to be part of your plan to get this dorm more popular, I don't want to be part of this dorm competition, and I don't want to be Reaper!"

Koichi was silent, all he could hear now was the sobbing coming from where Natsu was sitting in his room. He tried reaching for the door, but then just kept thinking about the terrified look in the boy's eyes, and instead just sat by it, knowing that he would be able to still talk to him.

"I'm sorry," he started, hearing the crying begin to subside from inside. "Maybe I was pushing too much on you when I wanted to get more people into this dorm. You and I both have very different ideas as to what it means to be alone. I find it to be a curse, and you see it as a blessing," he said, Natsu still rolled into a small ball on the floor. "I've been alone for four years in this dorm. The teachers all call me a fool for keeping it up, and I'm always the one nobody wants to be around and I hate it. You've probably been alone for much longer than that, and you've come to see it as your security."

There was no reply from the other side, Natsu's breath could still be heard, coughing from his shouting and crying, and a small sniffling sound form his nose. Koichi nodded in understanding as he looked away from the door again, waiting for some kind of reply from the young student.

"S-Six years," he heard Natsu say. "I've been on my own for six years. My parents sent me away on a training journey, and I haven't been home since. People never look at me seriously, they don't see me normally, and they just don't understand anything about me."

"I can see where you're coming from," Koichi said. "Tell you what, for the first few weeks why don't you just get used to things one day at a time? That way nothing is happening to you so fast. We'll find a way to keep trainers from coming to you to challenge Reaper, and we'll put my plans on the back burner for a while, okay?" he asked, hearing a sniffling sound from Natsu.

"…Sure," he said, hearing Koichi walk away from the door. "Thank you, Koichi-sensei," he said, saying his name for the first time since coming here.

"_You're welcome,"_ Koichi said in his head. _"Reaper-sama,"_ he said, remembering the confident sound in Natsu's voice as it had gone down nearly two octaves. As he walked through the rest of his dorm, he began to think about the kind of year he was shaping up to having with the boy who was afraid of everything, but could conquer it all.

* * *

Character Appearances:

Natsu Kohashigawa: Lampent & Golett. NightFall00

Judai Ryuzaki: Monferno, other Pokémon TBA. Jexo

* * *

Notes:

Names for people in Japan: So, I wanted the character to have primarily Japanese names seeing as it's my major in college. So really, people in Japan have their given name and family name, and usually these can be written in kanji, which is the more complicated symbolized writing adapted from Chinese based symbols. A person's name, when writing in kanji, if they're known, can easily be translated. For instance, Natsu's name is based on a single character read as "Natsu" meaning "Summer." His family name is "Kohashigawa" which can be written with "small," "bridge," and "river." Other characters and their names would be the headmistress "Asuka" which is written with "bright," "day," and "incense." Koichi, which can be spelled a number of ways would be, in this version, "light," and "one." And, as of this chapter, Judai, which can also be written a few ways, but mostly translates from a combination of "ten," and "generation," otherwise translated to "teenager." I'd get into their last names, but there's only so much I can talk about.

Japanese Names aside from given: So, in the chapter you heard a few other names being given for people like "Jii-chan," and "jou-chan," and these are both examples of very common names you hear on the street when you're walking through Japan. Jii-chan is adapted from "Ojii" which is the name given to a grandfather. In Japan, you don't just call people old man, or something like that, and you refer to them by the name without the "O" sound at the beginning. It's a culture thing; in the same way an man old than you, but not yet middle aged would be called "nii-san," a girl would be "nee-san," middle aged man "ji-san," middle aged woman, "ba-san," older woman "baa-san." Japan is a close community, and in many cases you refer to just about everyone by the name of a family members (you can look these up anywhere online if you want the actual translations for each one. Other names you might've heard, based on this chapter were "jou-chan," shortened from "Ojou," meaning princess, and anyone that referred to Natsu as "kid," you have probably said "bozu," which is how you normally refer to a child younger than you who's male aside from the honorific "-kun."

Nickname (Nacchan): So, when the one girl shared her textbook, which is the normal thing to do in Japan for a new student, she called him "Nacchan," and this is more for my newer readers, because I have talked about this before. Something that should be known about Japanese is that there is no single consonant sound aside from "n," and everything else is attacked to a vowel. Nicknames in Japanese are easiest to make up, however, when the person has the letter "tsu" in their name. In order to make a single consonant sound, which would really just add the next sound to the follow letter, you make a small "tsu" letter in front of the next one. So for example, you got the word "shakai" which is social studies, and then you add a small "tsu" before the "ka" and you get "shakkai" which is a rented house. It's easy to do this with names that have "tsu" so you can elongated the sound of the honorific, which is normal "-chan." Some ones you may know are "Secchan," from the name Setsuna, "Nacchan," from Natsu, "Tacchan" from Tatsu, etc.

Judai's Dialect: Hopefully you noticed a bit of twang in Judai's voice, giving him more of a southern-ish kind of feel to him, and that really has to do with the idea that he speaks in a Kansai dialect, which is basically the equivalent to an American country or southern accent. Obviously, it's harder to translate into English, and any manga that has tried, has normally given the Romanized version of the Kansai dialect or "Osaka-ben" that bit of southern feel. Like in America, people with this accent are often seen as country folk, not very well versed in city ways, and people who walk around with the Kansai dialect aren't viewed very highly when they go to places like Tokyo, because they stick out like sore thumb. Best known example of a character who speaks notably in a Kansai dialect would be Hattori Heiji from Detective Conan. Not only does he speak in Osaka-ben, but it becomes a running gag that people think he's also a foreigner because of how strangely he speak…doesn't end well.

* * *

So, there you are, the first chapter, and I have to say that that's the fastest I've ever written a chapter for another story, so you can bet that this one is gonna stick around. Hopefully for the unveiling of the other generation six pokémon, that should be good. Something that I messed up on while I was writing the title for this story on my profile was that I called it "Himitsu wa doko ni demo," which means "**Secrets** are everywhere," but I wrote, because I was gonna call it "Mondai wa doko ni demo," "**Problem **are everywhere," so please disregard the idea of calling it problems because it's secrets. So, I was only able to get one of the OCs submitted to me introduced, but hopefully by the next chapter, I can get more in there, that way everybody can remember them when they see this story come up, and think, "Yeah, I know which character he's talking about." Hopefully you've all enjoyed this little, or not so little, chapter of Natsu's life. Until we meet again, ja nee.


	3. The Truth in Silence

Hey guys, me again with the next chapter of what I may have to start call H.D.D. for "Himitsu wa Doko ni Demo," seeing as I don't feel the particles for "wa" and "ni" should be in the acronym, but I digress. I don't know why, but for some reason, this story is really easy to write, as made apparent by the fact that I was able to write the last chapter a day after I published it, and that baby was over thirteen thousand words. You know you either really can get into story, or have absolutely no life when you can do that. Although, my only regret with the last chapter was that I wasn't able to introduce more OCs last chapter as I will in this one. The only reason I can think of for not being able to would have to be because I wanted to get just a bit more into Natsu for a bit, and the only other character submitted that was a sophomore was Judai. Hope you guys liked him, because that user sent in a really good OC in my opinion. You've heard enough out of me, let's get started. Enjoy, everyone.

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN POKÉMON, BECAUSE IF I DID, GHOSTS AND DRAGONS WOULD BE WEAK TO THEMSELVES.**

* * *

Chapter 2: The Truth in Silence

It's often said that actions speak louder than words, or that silence is golden; things are meant to be seen and not heard, or maybe even that there are time when silence has the loudest voice. All of these sayings suggest that quiet is much more insightful than actual words, and there are many people who would contend to that belief. These are the people who can see the truth of something, even without being told, and that by not speaking, there is nobody to offend, but this is only an empty gesture. A saying posed by another man against all of these was said, "Spiteful words can hurt your feelings, but silence breaks your heart." The walls and barriers we put up when we are silent are often others ways of saying that friends are not to be made here, or that whatever you're thinking, you're wrong. Silence is a two edged sword, when it works for you it becomes away to save yourself the trouble of looking as though a fool to others. But when it works against you, it takes away everything you ever held precious to your heart, making you wish for once that you had uttered even on word.

* * *

It had been several days since Natsu's transferring into the school, and things began looking better for him each day, with the obvious exceptions of the girls in his class always trying to get near him. Judai appeared to be his only friend among everybody, and nothing ever seemed to be very problematic for him. That is, until the day he dreaded came upon him, and he wasn't sure if he would actually be able to make it through the entirety of it. The day when the things around him that were said were no longer words, but instead a very harsh reality.

Sitting in the center of a large group around his desk, Natsu was too nervous to move at all, even if it was to grab his food, thinking that one any of the girls around him would attack instantly. The only comfort he got from this, was the sight of Judai sitting in front of him with an indifferent look on his face as he continued to chew on his food, not turning to look behind him at Natsu or the hoard around him. Looking back up at the ceiling, Natsu found both Lampent asleep while sticking to the ceiling, and Monferno eating its own food, about to sleep like the other fire type adjacent to him. Letting out a small sigh, his mouth was quickly invading by a small piece of food one of the girls stuck into his mouth, the other giggling at him as his face erupted into a red color with the normal puff of smoke coming out the top.

"Got you," the girl said playfully, poking his nose as he just lowered his head so he wouldn't have to look at any of them, which didn't aid his attempts to get them away, seeing as, to them, it just made him more desirable.

"_Please, somebody, make it stop!"_ he shouted in his head as every student in the room quickly turned at the sound of their door opening, Koichi standing in the door, his appearance not having improved to the other students. _"Thank you,"_ he said, watching Koichi walk towards the group, reaching inside to fish Natsu out, holding him by only one of his arms.

"Still not enjoying the attention?" he asked, Natsu shaking his head as Koichi gave a depressed sigh. "It might be better if you do, a bunch of the guys in this class would rather see you murdered than not seeing you basking in this glory you've been receiving," he explained, Natsu looking away from him, blush covering his face. "At any rate, you and Ryuzaki-kun are needed in the administrative office right now. You'll probably miss the rest of your classes so, come down after you're done with your lunches," he said, both of them nodding, Judai turning around to speak with Natsu, practically sending his admirers away with a simple look.

"It probably has to do with yer becomin' a dorm head for the tournament," he said, Natsu letting out another sigh, continuing to eat by himself as Judai simply gave him a half smile at his reaction. "Hey, come on, there're lot of perks that come with this gig. You get to bring yer pokémon into class," he said, Natsu pointing up at Lampent to destroy his point. "Fine, you get the chance to get noticed by a whole mess of people who offer you the big money for regular gigs in battlin' leagues," he explained, Natsu looking at away at the thought of "being noticed" by people. "You get invited to a bunch of parties, and those normally entail some kinda gourmet food," he said, Natsu instantly perking up, a small dribble of drool appearing out of the corner of his mouth. _"Success,"_ Judai said to himself. _"Never pegged the dude for a glutton, though. The body obviously has a pretty fast metabolism,"_ he said, looking down at his boxed lunch, but finding it to be relatively small in size. _"Maybe it's more of a quality over quantity thing."_

* * *

The two walked down the hall towards the office where Natsu was in earlier during the week, both of their pokémon following after them as the thought of being able to eat all kinds of different foods began to fill Natsu with a new outlook of being what Judai called a dorm head, but if that was it, then Natsu still had to admit it would be difficult with the paradigm shift. As they reached the large wooden door to the headmistress' office, Judai taking the initiative to knock on the door, hearing a cheerful, "Come in," from Asuka. As they both entered, neither of the sophomore students could find any sign of the headmistress, despite hearing her voice just a few seconds earlier. Both looked around, unaware that the door was closing behind them, Natsu jolting at a sudden chill running down his spine, Judai turning to see what was wrong, but noticed the door completely closed, and a tall figure with a mischievous grin on her face.

"_Oh boy,"_ he said, making a quick movement back, leaving Natsu in her path as she lunged forward, her arms outstretched.

"Caught you!" Asuka shouted, wrapping her arms around his head, Natsu only able to let out a small moaning sound as he tried to get out of her embrace. "It's not okay for the girls in your class to be the only ones to play with you, so why don't you let me?" she asked, running her arms down his sides, keeping his arms at his sides. "Mm, you're so cute," she said, practically forcing him to the ground had it not been for Judai clearing his throat.

"There any reason ya called _both_ of us here? Or did ya just use me to get him into yer clutches?" he asked, pointing down at Natsu who was still helpless in Asuka's grasp. "'Cause if that's all…have fun, Natsu-kun," he said, waving goodbye about to leave with Natsu looking up at him, completely terrified by what would actually happen if things got too crazy with Asuka.

"I do have need of both of you," Asuka said, releasing Natsu, the latter falling to the ground, practically out of breath, Lampent struggling to keep him from hitting the ground. "Natsu's face is just too cute for me to resist. I thought I might have a little bit of fun while you both were here," she said, bending over to look at Natsu a bit more closely as he tried to back away from her. "I think you both know why I need to talk to you, though," she said, sitting in the chair behind the desk in her normal position.

"'Cause the kid still has to officially become a dorm head, right?" Judai asked, Asuka nodding in answer.

"Under normal circumstances, it would be over just like that, but there are still a few of the others that don't agree with the idea of a transfer student suddenly becoming a dorm head just because he's the only student living in a certain dorm," Asuka explained. "No matter how cute he is," she said, obviously losing track of where the conversation was supposed to be going, Natsu's face already a beet red color. "I think you remember us talking about this last time, right, Judai-kun."

"It was just that one girl goin' off," he said, not thinking too much about the possibility. "She's just a stuck up brat with nothin' better to do than to pick on him."

"Feelings aside," Asuka said, turning to face Natsu. "You see Natsu-kun, if the administration decides on something, and the majority of dorm heads agrees with their decision, it works like a three ring government system where a legislative and executive branch both agrees on the result, and whatever the decision is that's the ultimate choice. But only part of them needs to agree, so there are always people who don't agree with, and that's the situation we have going on with a girl in the group named Maaya Yoshida from the junior class. She doesn't think you're good enough to be part of this little group, so she's having you two enter into a tag team battle between her and another of the dorm heads tomorrow after classes have finished," she said, pointing at both of the sophomores.

"I-I have to battle?" Natsu asked, Asuka nodding, the thought coming over him all too quickly, falling to the ground all too suddenly for Lampent to catch him.

"Well, this just keeps gettin' better," Judai said, about to sling Natsu's arm over his shoulder, but suddenly felt Asuka place a hand on his shoulder, shaking her head with a smile on her face, Judai feeling that he was going to regret this later in life, or at the exact moment that it happened. "Just don't do anything too bad to him," he said, passing his arm off to the headmistresses who gave him a thumbs up, which worried him all the more.

* * *

It was several hours before Natsu reopened his eyes, by which time he found himself laying on a couch, his head elevated onto another surface. As his eyes opened fully, he looked up to the ceiling, but instead found himself looking directly into Asuka's face. After a bit of thought, it didn't take long for Natsu to realize his head was sitting on her lap, one of her hands stroking his hair. In between realizing where he was, and the time it took for his face to go completely red was, in reality, nonexistent, especially when he tried to spring directly upward, but was held down by her opposite hand.

"I don't think you should be so jumpy," she said, still petting him. "You looked pretty comfy when you were sleeping in my arms," she said, Natsu's face growing an even deeper red with the thought coming into his head. "I think you even tried to cuddle with me for a second, too bad you stopped yourself," Natsu's face releasing enough smoke from his head to suffocate them both. "Aw, I'm just kidding," she started, Natsu letting out a sigh of relief. "I was doing the cuddling," she finished, Natsu instantly disappearing from where he was laying down, a trail of smoke following after where he ran in, Asuka chuckling slightly as Lampent followed after him, bowing. "Maybe I overdid it," she said.

As she stood up from the couch in her office, Asuka walked back over to her desk, searching through one of the drawers in the side. As she reached inside, a small notebook came out in her hand, several pictures on the inside. On the front cover page, a picture of Natsu from the file that she was looking through when he first transferred, and on the back cover page, a picture of a figure completely cloaked in shadows, his face completely covered in shadows.

"It may be as far from the truth as you can get," she said, placing her hand on the picture of the cloaked figure anyone could have seen as Reaper. "But it's always been said that truth is stranger than fiction, Reaper-sama. And the truth of you may just be as strange as any fantasy that any person could concoct," she said, her tongue moving over her lips.

* * *

Back in the ghost dorm, Koichi and Judai both were in the main lobby, the latter shifting his eyes back and forth as Koichi began pacing back and forth, most likely waiting impatiently for Natsu's return, considering what he learned Judai allowed Asuka to do. Watching the constant movements of his teacher's feet as they shuffled across the floor, Judai let out a wide smile as he saw a small depression in the floor beneath where he was walking. Waiting until the depression was several centimeters deep, and for his teacher to notice it as well, but could see he was more concerned with Natsu.

"An' here I thought that somethin' like that was possible in cartoons," Judai said, pointing down at the floor, Koichi widening his eyes out of shock at the damage he was currently doing to the dorm he had spent so long working on. "Man, that kinda expression is priceless," he said, holding his cell phone at Koichi's face, snapping a quick photo of his traumatized face. "How d'ya think he's doin' alone with that woman?"

"When it comes to Saruwatari-sensei, there could be any number of things happening at the same time, good or bad by anyone's definition," Koichi said, sitting on the sofa adjacent from Judai, his leg shaking nervously. "But I've never seen her this way with anybody before, especially a boy."

"Ya sayin' she's a...?" Judai began, implying what many would still like to keep private.

"No, she just has a harder time adjusting to boys is all," Koichi explained. "It's never been easy for her to look at a boy and instantly make that kind of connection with him, no matter who he was. I like to think that she's had experiences with boys in the past of certain stereotypes, and now looking at them brings those feelings back to the surface."

"So it's 'cause she's never seen a boy like Natsu-kun, before?" Judai asked, Koichi nodding as an answering, both of them considering that to be the main underlying reason.

As both of them accepted the idea of Asuka's dalliance being the reason behind her infatuation with Natsu, they heard the door sliding open, Natsu walking in with the normal depressed look. As he titled his head up at both Judai and Koichi who both waved to him, which he returned with a simple nod of the head, he walked into the dorm, and took a seat next to Judai, the latter seeing the blush covering his face, confirming his suspicion about regretting leaving him alone with Asuka.

"So, I think that both of you need to get your strategy together about what you're going to do about Maaya-kun, and her partner," Koichi said. "I think her name was Amira, right?" he asked, Judai nodding in agreement.

"Yeah, but Amira-senpai was more strong-armed into battlin' with Yoshida-senpai," Judai answered. "She's a lot like our little friend here, pretty darn quiet; I gotta say that it takes away from her figure," he explained, trying to trace out the silhouette of this girl's figure, Natsu blushing at the curves this girl supposedly boasted. "Yoshida-senpai uses fightin' types, so there ain't a whole lotta problems there, but Amira-senpai, there, uses psychic types. They shouldn't be too much trouble for Natsu-kun, but they may know a few ghost techniques themselves," he continued. "If we ain't ready for anything they'd throw at us, then we may as well as throw any chance of you gettin' any respect from Yoshida-senpai."

"How adamant was Maaya-kun about Natsu-kun not becoming a dorm head like the rest of you, and since when would her voice be so powerful amongst fifteen other dorm heads?" Koichi asked, Natsu draping his arms over the arm rest, exasperated by everything happening with this one aspect of his life changing.

"First off, five of them are off studyin' abroad in other areas, and won't be comin' back 'til later in the school year," Judai explained. "Second, Yoshida-senpai, when she was talking about Natsu-kun, said, and I quote, 'He sounds like nothin' more than a weak little Goth boy with no real talent anywhere in his entire body,'" he said, Natsu's head sinking farther into the couch at the sound of her comment. "It don't change the fact you're becomin' one of us, Natsu-kun, it just means she wants to test ya, and because I defended ya, I got pulled into this with ya. An' she just picked the first person she could find, and like I said, Amira-senpai is a lot like you so there wasn't a lot of disagreement between the two."

"What about the other dorm heads?" Koichi asked. "Obviously, they didn't want Maaya-kun to contest Natsu-kun's joining them. Besides, she's never met him, how would she know what he's like?"

"The other dorm heads kinda wanted to see what the sophomore heads could do, so they just coming for the battle," Judai explained. "As for her accusation, maybe this would have something to do with it," he said, handing a small wallet-sized picture to Koichi who rubbed his temples at the sight of it, hesitant to show it to Natsu. "She said she got it in the mail earlier in the week, and was told that it was the new dorm head. It's a minor miracle she didn't spread around the school," he said, Koichi handing the picture to Natsu, who titled his head down at the sight of it.

"That was the day after you battled the biker, right?" Koichi asked quiet enough so Judai couldn't hear, Natsu nodding, remembering the outburst he had made, and what happened afterwards, the picture showing him alone in his room, tears streaming down his face. "You have to admit that whatever caused this picture, it's pretty good evidence in Maaya-kun's favor," he said, handing it back to Judai.

Before Judai could answer, the three could hear a sudden series of footsteps coming towards the door, with two shaded figures directly behind the screen. Natsu retreated back on the couch as Judai walked towards it along with Koichi, the door opening immediately, the screen slamming against the end of the rail it sat upon. Judai groaned at the sight of one of the two people walking in, turning her head towards the couch, finding Natsu staring at her out of near terror at the way she was staring at him. To Natsu, the only explanation was that this was who Judai was talking about.

Maaya Yoshida, if he remembered correctly, was her name, and despite being a girl, and older than him by only a year was still imposing as she walked closer to him. She stood at a height of five foot five with a fairly athletic build, toned arms and legs, a bit more developed put into her chest, but nowhere near where Asuka had reached, with a fairly tanned complexion. Her hair was a similar brown color to Natsu's top layer, maybe a bit darker, tied up in a ponytail hanging off to the side, and trailing down her side where it could have easily reached to the end of her back had she let it loose. Her bangs reached just over her emerald green eyes as they seemed to pierce through to Natsu's soul. For her clothes, Maaya simply wore a blank tank top, a pair of camouflage print cargo pants, and a pair of black combat boots.

"So, this is my opponent tomorrow?" she asked, leaning forward to stare directly at his face, her own face inches from his. "Like I told you yesterday, Ryuzaki, a Goth geek with no real ability," she said looking back at Judai who simply gave her a disdainful look as he welcomed in the one coming in behind her. "Here, Amira, not even you could be afraid of something like this," she said to the other girl, grabbing Natsu by his collar.

Natsu turned around to look at Amira, and, needless to say, she was a bit prettier than he was originally thinking, blushing slightly at the sight of her. Her skin was a chocolate brown complexion, a similar hair style to Maaya's, but in a black color, and probably wouldn't have reached the same point if let loose. She had a similar build as Maaya, making Natsu begin to think that Maaya picked her a bit more carefully than the other two were thinking, and just as Judai had described, she had a fairly curvaceous figure. Her eyes were a dark brown color, hidden slightly by her bangs, and were much gentler in appearance when compared to Maaya. For her clothes, she wore a black v-neck shirt over a white button up shirt, dark blue jeans that were a bit more form fitting as opposed to Natsu's, a pair of black boots reaching up to her knee, and a pair of white headphones around her neck.

As Maaya pushed Natsu towards Amira, Natsu found it hard to gain his balance as he stumbled, making the distance in between the two of them increasingly shorter until he reached the depression in the entrance, falling forward towards Amira who instinctively reached out her arms to catch him. Feeling her grab him to keep him from falling, Natsu looked up her, the same second Amira looked down at him, both turning red, Amira sounding as though she were going to say something, but instead let out a small yelp as she pushed him away. As both fell to the ground, Natsu looked up at Amira surprised, but already found her with her face on the ground as though apologizing. Watching the situation between the two, Natsu placing himself in the same position, most likely to apologize for scaring her, both Koichi and Judai looked at each other chuckling to themselves, mischievous looks on their faces.

"Don't be apologizing to him, Amira!" Maaya shouted, Amira instantly springing up at the sound of her voice. "He's the enemy, and you have to treat him like that, or he'll walk all over him," she said, looking down at Natsu was just coming up from his own bow. "Then again, maybe not. Anyway, I just came by to see if that picture was true, and look what we have here."

"That's enough, leave him alone, Yoshida!" Koichi shouted, Maaya turning to look at the teacher with no sign of fear at the sound of his threat. "You know what fighting a teacher's order could mean for you, right?"

"Yeah, except for the fact that none of the teachers take you seriously, old man," she said, the sudden retort practically crushing the teacher as he quickly retreated into the corner, his knees brought up to his ears while drawing circles in the ground. "Ah, that felt good. None of the other teachers would ever be taken out with just insult, you know," she said, adding insult to injury as the thought pierced Koichi like an arrow as he fell to the ground in a defeated heap.

"Ya really know where to hit it where it hurts the most, Yoshida-senpai," Judai said, Maaya looking at her work satisfied with Natsu astonished by how hard the realization was able to crippled Koichi. "I don't think ya need to prove this picture's real, though," Judai continued. "Because this guy's Lampent is strong enough to take down the both of ya by itself. It might be a pretty borin' battle for me," he said, Natsu trying to keep Judai from talking too much, and do something the both of them would regret.

"Really?" Maaya asked, definitely unconvinced. "Then, why don't we have a little test right now?" she asked, snapping her fingers as a quick fist was thrown directly at Natsu, but instantly stopped before it hit. "Hitmonchan here is my partner, in both pokémon and sparring," Maaya explained, the fighting type retracting its fist as Natsu was left breathing as quickly as he could out of fear. "If you're Lampent is so strong, why don't you call him over here?" she asked, Natsu turning around to go to his room, shivering at how close he became to being a victim of her pokémon.

* * *

"Ha! This is gonna be one easy battle!" Maaya said, Natsu returning about a minute later, his Lampent floating behind him, seeing the Hitmonchan ready for battle. "Ah, so this is the infamous Lampent we've heard so much about, right, Amira?" she asked, the girl behind her nodding slightly. "Take it out, Hitmonchan," she said calmly, the fighting type almost disappearing as he reappeared behind the both Natsu and Judai who only had time to turn around to see Lampent get bashed in the back by a lightning powered punch.

As it quickly flew in through the wall, Lampent floated back into the dorm, small sparks of electricity surrounding it slowing its movements, indicating to both sophomores it became paralyzed.

"How unfortunate," Maaya said, snapping her fingers as she turned to Hitmonchan who attacked it again with a similar punch, the ghost pokémon barely having enough time to dodge the onslaught of attacks, Amira trying to walk in to stop the battle, a Kirlia appearing from a pokéball. "Not now, Amira, I'm finally having some fun with this little weakling. Hitmonchan, final strike, now!" she shouted, Judai walking behind Natsu while whistling innocently as he gave him a quick shove.

Stumbling forward in between Hitmonchan and Lampent, Natsu quickly found himself in the way of Hitmonchan's next attack, the fighting pokémon not hesitating to attack. Amira began to walk back into the fray, but instantly froze at what she saw next, Maaya always stunned. Taking the entirety of the blow for his trainer, Lampent had stepped into the path of the attack, allowing the electric energy to encompass his entire body, the paralysis not becoming any better by where he was standing, but aside from that, he was resisting. Natsu turned around, and saw what position Lampent was in, the ghost pokémon turning to his trainer, and nodding slightly.

"H-Hex," Natsu said quietly, Lampent pushing Hitmonchan's fist to the side, and producing an alternating purple and red color in his eyes as the fighting type became paralyzed by fear.

Releasing a large blast out of both of his eyes, forcing Hitmonchan to his knees, Lampent did not showing any signs of letting up on the attack, continuing to pressure the fighting type, Maaya watching the attack with unwavering attention. Suddenly Natsu shouted at Lampent to stop, the ghost type following his direction exactly. Hitmonchan stood back up, his body covered in small scratched from the constant attacking from his opponent. Wavering in his foot strength, Hitmonchan began to fall when Maaya quickly caught her pokémon, slinging his arms over her shoulder as she looked up at the Lampent floating back to his own trainer.

"The only reason you got that shot off was because he interfered," she said, looking over at Judai who looked off to the side, feigning innocence.

"Power is power no matter where it comes from," Judai said, passing a small medicine spray to Natsu, who began to heal Lampent of his condition. "But of ya don't want a pokémon that can defeat yours battlin', why don't we just have our battle pokémon do the actual fighting. No Hitmonchan, no Kirlia," he said, motioning at Amira. "No Monferno, and no Lampent," he said. "We just use our other pokémon."

"Fine," Maaya said, walking away from the dorm, still carrying her pokémon over her shoulder, Amira following after her, leaving a small note on the floor in front of the doorway. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow, kid," she said, Natsu nodding, still too scared to look directly at her.

After the two left, Natsu lowered himself to the ground, reading the note Amira left, and began to read it to himself, walking away, but was quickly caught by Judai, who fished the note out of his hands, reading it to himself. After reading it, he turned to Natsu whose face was already red, passing it over to Koichi, who had finally recuperated from his little episode, Judai holding Natsu back as Koichi read the note.

"Oh-ho," he said in reply to the note, passing it off to him. "Somebody's got a thing for our little friend here," he said, giving him the note back. "Wishing you luck in a battle against her, it can only mean she likes you," he said, poking his forehead, Judai letting him go.

"On the plus side to all of this, we don't have to deal with Hitmonchan's punches and their status ailments they have on us," Judai said, sitting down on the couch, his legs propped onto each other. "The only problem is that we don't know what Amira-senpai's gonna use for the battle, and since psychic types can use ghost moves, it might become a problem for ya, Natsu-kun. What is yer other pokémon, anyway?" he asked, Natsu hesitant to answer, knowing that Judai saw Reaper battle in the week with Golett.

"It's a Golett," Koichi said, no fear in his eyes for Natsu being found out. "It usually stays upstairs in his room. A real bum, when you look at him, but he has the same punching power that Hitmonchan had."

"Hmm," Judai said. "Cool, ya and that guy, Reaper, have the same pokémon, huh?" he asked, as Natsu let out a nervous chuckle as he nodded. "It'd be cool if ya turned out to be the Reaper, Natsu-kun," he said, Natsu becoming a bit more nervous. "Ah, but that's pretty much impossible, though. The two of ya pretty much are complete opposites," he said, chuckling, about to leave the dorm. "Just remember, Natsu-kun, tomorrow we battle both of those girls, and despite how you may feel about one of them, we'll win," he said, Natsu blushing at the fact that Judai kept talking about it.

* * *

After Judai left, Natsu let out a sigh of relief that nothing got spilled about his secret, and then turned to Koichi who was looking at him in the eye directly. As Natsu backed up out of surprise, he looked at Koichi who walked back to his room, Natsu following after him, wondering why he would be going into his room. After opening the door to Natsu's room, Koichi showed him in, and found that Golett was sitting on the ground, completely silent, the homunculus making no reaction to the two's presences in the room.

"Your Golett's been like that since you battled as Reaper," Koichi explained, Natsu nodding in understanding. "Well, why won't it go into its pokéball? You've told it to return since letting it out after the battle, and it doesn't even give you so much a sideways glance. What is wrong with your Golett? It's like the thing doesn't even register you."

"I-It doesn't," Natsu said. "It only does when Lampent is around, because he's so much more powerful, but when he's alone, Golett doesn't really listen to me. He only responds when he's being commanded by Reaper. I think it's because Reaper is the one who caught him, not me."

"You're saying that one of the strongest pokémon fighters in this school won't even listen to its trainer? I guess the only consolation is that those two you're battling don't have the greatest control over their battling pokémon either," Koichi said, sighing as he closed the door. "This battle may not be as dynamic as other battles where people have battled with pretty obedient pokémon. Ah, no use worrying about it now, may as well get some steam out by steaming in the bath. What do you say?" he asked, Natsu nodding.

After hearing the two people leave, Golett looked above it to find Lampent floating in the room, illuminating it by use of use own body, the former not looking directly at the other ghost. Instead of making any effort to change its attitude, Lampent simply floated down next to it, and seemed to go to sleep next to it, Golett looking at the cloak hanging on the open closet door, remembering the power that Reaper exuded as opposed to the actual face of the trainer. Thinking of how much better it would be if there was more Reaper and less Natsu, gave a softening to the hollow look in the ground and ghost type's eyes.

* * *

In the bathhouse, both residents of the ghost dorm were sitting across from each other, Natsu sitting with his head angled down thinking about he was unable to control his strongest battler. Koichi could tell what was on his mind, and began looking around the bathhouse trying to find some way to shift the focus of the conversation. Seeing the water drip down from his hair as it always did when they were in the bath, Natsu began to think about something else, and worry about Golett later, hopefully in time for the battle.

"What can you tell me about Amira?" he asked Koichi, blushing slightly.

"Hmm, looking for a bit of info to know how to ask her out?" Koichi said mischievously, Natsu blushing even more, shaking his head, denying the notion as fast as he could. "Well, there's not much to tell, actually. She's a foreign student, but I think you could tell that from her ethnicity, and she's pretty shy, a lot like you, but then again, Ryuzaki already said that much about her. I know she's normally at the mercy of her partner Kirlia. That little trouble maker does whatever it wants, and never thinks about the consequences for its trainer. Other than that, I know she always conveys her feelings with a notepad rather than words. She's got a natural accent from where she's from; it's one of those deep voices where some of her sounds are said a bit harder than what you would normally hear."

"Is she embarrassed by her voice?" Natsu asked.

"Maybe, but part of it is just that she's shy around just about everyone," Koichi answered. "And I think you may have noticed, she doesn't really like to get close to others," he said, Natsu remembering how she pushed him out of her arms directly after catching him. "She just doesn't like people touching her, or vice versa, if you catch my drift. All in all, though, I think she's a good girl who always has to worry about what's happening around her, and she puts too much pressure on herself. Maybe she needs a cute boyfriend to take the edge off," he suggested, letting off a small chuckle as Natsu sunk his head down into the water, only allowing his eyes to shoe through, and his blush still apparent even under the water.

"_She sure was pretty,"_ he said to himself, knowing if he said it out loud, Koichi would never let him live it down. _"But how could a girl ever like that like a guy like me? And how can a person like me ever like another person like that? Maybe it'd be better if I forgot about it,"_ he said, resting his head on the edge of the bath.

* * *

Exiting the bath, Natsu walked into his own room, both of his pokémon appearing to be asleep, giving him only a few more things to worry about. Instead of thinking them, he grabbed the blanket from his futon, and dropped down on the mattress, instantly falling asleep as he quickly found a comfortable position. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Golett rise from where it sat, about to call out to it, but instead grabbed his cloak, and ran out with him. Not bothering to wake up, Lampent, Natsu snuck out of his room, seeing the door to Koichi's room already close and latch shut. Natsu almost lost sight of Golett as it disappeared out of the corner of the hallway, but quickly caught up to it, not sure if it was aware of his presence.

On the outside of the dorm, Natsu looked around the wall to see a large boulder on the outside obviously placed there for decoration. Thinking that Golett was admiring it, Natsu was quickly shocked to find that the ghost pokémon, instead, quick struck the stone with one of its fists. Watching it for at least fifteen minutes, all Natsu could hear were a series of hollow grunts from the pokémon, and never more than that as though it was suppressing the pressure from constantly hitting the rock. Instead of leaving like he normally would have, Natsu looked down at the cloak he held in his hand, and quickly flapped it over his body, walking out form his hiding, the wind offering the perfect affect to allow Golett to turn to its trainer with the utmost respect.

"So, I guess it's true what Natsu says," Reaper said, walking past Golett, and place a hand on the boulder, a large depression seen on the face. "You only respect me as the one to command you, right?" he asked, Golett nodding, standing on one knee. "And that is where you are beginning to weaken, my friend," he said, the ghost pokémon widening its eyes out of shock. "You believe that my identity is its own, and that it depends on no other, and this where you make your grave mistake. My identity as the Reaper is dependent on the existence of the boy, and without him, I have no life."

Golett still didn't move, and quickly brought its head down as Reaper walked by him, and pointed at the stone it was trying to destroy earlier. "If you wish to prove yourself powerful, destroy the stone by morning," he said, Golett nodding as a single flap from his cloak was all Reaper needed to disappear into a sudden gust of wind.

* * *

The next day, Natsu woke up with the beams of light coming through his window, the constant sound of a pounding fist still going on as it had for the entirety of the night. As he sat up on the mattress, he stretched out his arms, and quickly changed his clothes before walking out of his room, Koichi passing by with blood shot eyes, going straight for the noise, both Lampent and Natsu giving off a worried look as they waited by their door, waiting for the sound of the front door of the dorm to close before walking towards it themselves. Tiptoeing towards the front door, both Natsu and Lampent waited for Koichi to sound off, hearing a loud high pitched scream of terror from the back, giving them their cue.

Bolting from the entrance of the dorm, Natsu turned back to look at Golett running behind them, Koichi running on all four limbs like some kind of wild beast, his eyes full of rage as he seemed intent on catching either Golett or its trainer. Pulling out its pokéball, Natsu quickly returned Golett to the capsule just as Koichi came within inches of catching it, tripping over himself, and face planting on the ground in front of him. Natsu, not taking any time to look back again, ran straight to the school building, deciding to would be better to have to face his class than his teacher at the moment.

Entering class as fast as he could, Natsu was practically out of breath, Judai waving to him from where he sat. Natsu walked as slowly as possible to his seat, Lampent floating to the top of the room, adjacent to Judai's Monferno, both fire types greeting each other with a quick slap of each other's hand, or what passed off for a hand with Lampent. Judai, looking at the exasperated face Natsu sported, and couldn't help but chuckle at how exhausted his limbs looked.

"Have a nice little run before class?" he asked, Natsu's face hitting the desk, almost instantly dozing off, indicating he had just woken up. "Maybe a little too early for exercisin', don't ya think?" he asked. "Unless ya were runnin' from somethin', in which case ya ran the wrong direction," he said, pointing behind him, Natsu only having time to look up when both of his arms were grabbed by two of the girls in his class, another one grabbing his head from behind.

"We heard you were going to battle some of the junior students," the one behind him said, stroking his hair back as the two on both sides of him gripped onto his arms closer. "If you want, we'll give you a prize when you win," she said, her breathy tones against his neck made him breathe out slightly, trying to resist them as usual.

"It might be better for him if ya don't cloud his judgment right now, ya know," Judai said from in front of them. "Might make it less likely for ya to give him that 'reward,'" he said, the girls, instantly letting go, allowing Natsu to breathe a bit easier.

"Thank you," he said, Judai giving him a thumbs up, the sound of the door slamming open startling them both.

"THERE YOU ARE!" they both heard Koichi shout from the doorway to the classroom, Natsu bolting from his seat, and out the other side of the classroom, the teacher passing in front of the windows looking into the classroom, Judai along with everyone else definitely confused. "YOU LET THAT GOLETT OF YOURS USE MY PRIZED BOULDER AS TARGET PRACTICE, AND NOW IT'S RUINED. GET BACK HERE, SO I CAN HAVE THE PLEASURE OF KILLING YOU MYSELF!" he shouted, Natsu quickly losing strength in his legs as he barely made it to the end of the hall, and around the corner, and directly up against another person.

"So you finally come to me willingly," he heard Asuka say as he tried to keep himself from her, but quickly felt her arms wrap around him, shushing him as Koichi rounded the same corner, seeing the two in the position they were currently in. "Is there a problem, Yamada-san?" she asked.

"That little brat let his pokémon use one of my decorative boulders as a sparring partner, and when I found it this morning it had been reduced to rubble!" he said loudly, Asuka holding Natsu closer to her, like a mother protecting a child.

"I thought you told me that his Golett didn't listen to him like his Lampent did," she said, Koichi about to say something, but instantly stopped, amazed at how fast his argument had been destroyed. "Besides, this school takes pride in the strength of its students, not in their artistic abilities, which is too bad, because I could easily make this into a masterpiece," she said, pinching Natsu's cheek. "Anything that one of the students' pokémon did, if it was for training, cannot be seen as a punishable offense, and therefore, you'll have to live with it. Besides, you said it was just one, so you obviously have more. You go to your class; I need to speak to Kohashigawa-kun."

After Koichi left, Natsu let out a sigh of relief, looking up to see Asuka giving him a large smile as she grabbed him by the collar, and began dragging him through the hall towards her office. Flailing to get out of her grip, Natsu didn't make any sounds aside from small moans as Asuka threw him into his office, launching him onto one of the sofas in the room, and standing directly above him, a finger moving across his cheek.

"U-Um, t-thank you for helping me," he said, sitting up straight, bowing to her, the latter simply wrapping an arm around his head, running her fingers through his hair.

"Not good enough," she said suggestively as she continued fiddling with the individual strands. "You're gonna have to do better than that. I just save you from a man who cared more about his stupid decorations than you. How are you going to thank me now?" she asked, her vocal tone reminding him of the girl from his class, blush instantly covering his face. "How about if you lose the battle today against Yoshida and Khumalo, I get to keep you with me for an entire day with no Lampent or Golett to come to your rescue?" she asked, Natsu having no choice but to accept, despite the different situations appearing in his head. "Then you better win today, otherwise you'll be mine for a whole twenty four hours," she said, tapping her watch, Natsu bolting out of the room. "Good luck…"

* * *

Classes for the rest of the day were very lax in nature, with the exception of Natsu's homeroom, Koichi fuming his anger as he wrote on the chalkboard behind him, screeching as much as he could over the loss of his decoration, making sure his students felt the same pain he was feeling. Aside from that one hour of high pitched torture, everything for Natsu seemed to be going easier, seeing as those three earlier made sure to get the word out that he needed to be left alone. Natsu definitely had Judai to thank for that, despite the other sophomore student not even so much as turning to face his partner in the battle for the entirety of the classes before the lunch period.

Even at that point, Natsu was primarily left alone by just about everyone, Judai had turned his seat around to face him, but even then, he was silent. He made no reactions to Natsu looking down at him, and seemed more focused on his food. Monferno seemed as calm, swinging in its hammock, but that may have had to do more with the fact it wasn't his battle today. Natsu wanted to speak to him, but every time he looked down at Judai, he could a small shudder in his hand instantly keeping Natsu from bringing the battle up, figuring that Judai was beginning to feel the small sensations of fear that came with going against anybody older than you in a battle, especially one so determined to prove their point. As Natsu lowered his head to his own food, a wide smile appeared on Judai's face, unknown to the boy sitting in front of him, the rest of the class turning at the tension rising in his body.

"_Time for some fun,"_ he said to himself as the time between then and the battle became exponentially shorter, much to Natsu's chagrin.

* * *

The battlefield was a marked grassy plain, the borders of it marked off in white paint, a large circle drawn in the center with a single line dividing the two halves lengthwise. Natsu and Judai both waited on the far end from the school, waiting for both Maaya and Amira to enter the battlefield, the latter definitely more positive about the battle than the former. Looking down at Golett's pokéball, Natsu tried to find some way to ensure that the ground and ghost type would listen to him, but every kind of possible answer he could think of was impossible for him at the moment, his time beginning to run out at the sight of both Maaya and Amira walking towards the battlefield. With his stomach tying itself in knots, Natsu held his abdomen out of fear for what was going to happen in the next passing minutes.

"Well, at least you didn't run away," Maaya said. "I'll give you props for that one, kid. But now, it's time we show you how serious we are about winning. Right, Amira?" she asked, the dark skinned girl simply nodding, a nervous look on her face. "Hitmonchan, you'll have to sit this one out. Don't need to be giving them too quick a battle. May as well give them a bit of a chance," she said, the fighting type folding his arms, definitely allowing his trainer's words to increase its own pride.

Amira simply nodded to Kirlia who jumped from where it sat on her shoulder, and sat in a waiting position on the ground behind the battlefield. As the junior student turned her head to Natsu, she gave a small smile, Natsu blushing slightly as she did, readying her other pokéball. As Maaya did the same, both trainers threw their capsules, two very different pokémon appearing from the balls. The first, from Maaya, was a pokémon very similar to Hitmonchan, and not just in element; it's body proportioned precisely for its style of fighting, keeping its legs at a ready position, making several kicking motions; Hitmonlee. The other, from Amira, was a bulbous pokémon floating above the ground, its body seemingly made of different sections, surrounded in a light green membrane, its arms folded on the inside; Duosion.

"Monferno, take a break for a bit," Judai said, to the pokémon on his own shoulder, throwing a pokéball from his own belt. "Show 'em how to really battle, Torkoal!" he shouted, a medium sized tortoise pokémon, colored as though it was comprised of molten rock, and steam coming from its nose and shell.

"_Please help me just this once,"_ Natsu said in prayer, Lampent backing off without command, and watching his trainer throw his ball, Golett appearing from it, its body covered in scratched from its trainer during the night. _"Why did I tell him to do that?"_ he asked, quickly remembering what Reaper had told Golett to do as part of its training to prove its worth on the masked trainer's team. _"This isn't going to end well for us, is it?"_ he asked, Maaya trying to stifle her laughter, but quickly found herself unable to.

"You're going to be battle with an injured pokémon?" she asked, her laughter piercing a bigger hole in Natsu's already weak self-esteem. "That has got to be the most pathetic thing I have ever seen!" she shouted, being the only one laughing at Golett, but quickly stopping as she felt a stronger presence entering the area, making her look up at two older students looking down at the battlefield, and the pokémon chosen. "Why're you two here?" she asked, the older students simply smiling down at her.

"W-Who're they?" Natsu asked, Judai surprised by both of their presences at the battlefield.

"Senior dorm heads from the dark and dragon dorms; Kaname Misaki and Sienna Smith respectively," he said. "It's pretty rare for the both of ya to take an interest in a squabble between two underclassmen. What gives?"

"Just wanted to see if this guy was really as good as you made him out to be, Judai-kun," Kaname said looking down at Natsu. "No offense, kid, you don't seem like much at first glance. But I'm sure you've got some secret talent we can't see," he said, Natsu instantly thinking of Reaper.

"What about Miss Smith," Judai asked, the girl giving off a confident smile down at the battlefield.

"Just want to know what my competition is like," she said, taking more of an interest down at Natsu like Kaname had. "Kaname-kun's right, you don't seem like much."

Kaname was, probably when you look at him at face value only, the thing of every little girls' dreams. From where he stood, he was probably close to six feet tall with a regular build from the look of it, his skin having a pale complexion. His eyes were a gentle pool of a dark green color, a few loose streaks of gray in the iris, shown completely without any interference from his hair. His hair was a dark brown color reaching just shy of his ears, nowhere close to having the problems that the long strands Natsu boasted gave him. With his hands rest on his forearms, it was hard to see in too bright of light, but lining his knuckles, like Judai were a series of small scars, only his were more of a silvery color. For his wardrobe, he wore a black t-shirt, a pair of light brown cargo shorts, and a pair of black sneakers. Sitting at his feet with its leg supported by its other was a small pokémon that even Natsu could get along with; Sableye.

Sienna was definitely very much like Kaname at face value, the vision that every man had in their dreams. Standing at a similar height to Amira, maybe a couple of inches taller, she sported a very matured body figure, long dark brown hair, braided into a long ponytail, resting on her shoulder. Her skin was a creamy colored skin tone, and her eyes a light hazel color with small flecks where it became a gold color giving her that regal, confident appearance. For her own wardrobe, she wore a long sleeved purple colored shirt with a red and red scarf wrapped around her neck, indicating she may not have been the best with the cold, a pair of faded blue jeans, a pair of white colored tennis shoes, and a turquoise garnet necklace hanging from her neck. Fluttering above her with a constant buzzing sound from the quick natured wing beats was a medium sized pokémon, its exact species incredibly difficult to decipher if seen as just a silhouette; Vibrava.

"If we're all done here, can we get on with it?" Maaya asked, easily losing her patience with the constant chatter between the two groups.

"By all means, Maaya-chan," Sienna said, Maaya's face glowing a beet red color at the sound of the honorific.

"Don't call me that!" she shouted, turning to Natsu. "The only way you're gonna be able to win it this time if your Golett has actually power behind it!" she shouted, Natsu cringing at the sound of her voice. "I'm going to enjoy this," she said, Natsu obviously not feeling the same way. "Let's begin, Hitmonlee; Rolling Kick!" she shouted, the fighting type rolling himself into a small ball after jumping into the air.

Both Torkoal and Golett looked up into the air at the tumbling pokémon, waiting for him to get into a range where one of them could attack him. Instead, however, Hitmonlee continued to tumbling into the air, eventually having the sun provide visual protection for him, temporarily blinding both Torkoal and Golett, the former being quickly brought down into the ground by the sheer force of the quick downward kick made by the fighting type. Standing on top of Torkoal with a single one of his feet, Hitmonlee looked down at the fire type with a sneer in his eyes waiting for the trainer to do something to come to its aid.

"Torkoal," Judai started. "Ya can stop pretendin' now," he said, Maaya and Amira looking down at the fire type as it began to rise out of the ground, its internal body heat beginning to increase, thrusting its back forward to throw Hitmonlee back to the ground, entirely unbalanced. "Flamethrower!" he shouted, Torkoal letting out a large stream of fire from its body, engulfing the majority of Hitmonlee's front in the blaze. "Not bad for a training period of two weeks, huh?" he asked, the time frame surprising even the seniors watching.

"You've only had this thing for two weeks?" Maaya asked, definitely skeptical of the time frame.

"Well, I was really only trainin' Monferno for the past six years, and when I wanted to enroll here, I found out about their two pokémon requirement, so I had to find somethin', and the rest is history," he explained, Torkoal's attacking still engaged on Hitmonlee. "He's a little slow for my taste, but he's worked out so far.

The Flamethrower attack was beginning to take more of a toll on Hitmonlee than both the pokémon and his trainer had expected, leaving both of them clueless as to what to do, until both noticed that the stream of fire had begun to pan out in all other directions with something else taking the hit for the fighting type. Looking up from where it had been injured far past what most would be able to take, Hitmonlee saw Duosion taking the entirety of the attack for its partner, Torkoal quickly ceasing the attack.

"Thanks, Amira," Maaya said to her partner as the latter gave off a small smile as she looked at the ghost type still having yet to do anything.

"Recover," she said under her breath, her pokémon able to hear her perfectly, becoming surrounded in a lighter green shimmer, rejuvenating it from almost all the damage it had sustained from Torkoal's attack. "Energy Ball," she said, under her breath again, the psychic type quickly gliding over the grass to where Golett was standing, the latter prepared for anything it could throw at it.

As Duosion flew towards the ghost type, a large ball covered in green light appeared from her core, Golett turning back to where Natsu was standing but could see him instantly shiver in fear, letting out a hollow groaning sound, not noticing how close the opponent had gotten to it. With a small command to fire from Amira, Duosion shot the Energy Ball attack from its body, and sent it flying to where Golett stood, the ground type bracing itself for impact, already knowing its trainer too frightened to make any command. Taking the entirety of the hit, Golett slid back on the ground, ending close to the boundary line, its arms still up where it they were put to defend against the attack. Finding itself directly in front of Natsu, Golett looked back, and narrowed its soulless eyes on the young trainer, the latter barely able to look at him.

"Take out that ghost type, and this battle will be won," Kaname said, Sienna holding her head in her cupped hands. "Hitmonlee isn't able to make use of a whole lot of elemental moves outside of its own like its counterpart, and if Duosion is defeated by any means, this battle will have been won with the only remaining pokémon having no other option but to forfeit. If Amira-san can take out the Golett, then the battle is pretty much over."

"And seeing as the kid isn't too keen on battling at all, that shouldn't be too hard to accomplish," Sienna agreed. "He could easily defeat that Duosion, provided his Golett has Iron Fist, a few Shadow Punches and it's over," she said, watching a continued onslaught from Duosion, with Golett doing its best to dodge the constant Energy Ball attacks, but still finding it to be a wasted effort at times.

"I honestly expected more, Judai-kun!" Kaname shouted at Judai, who was just looking at the continued attacks on Golett, and Natsu's complete shut down by this point.

"…So was I," he answered quietly, turning to Natsu, gripping him by the collar, and pulling up off the ground. "What are ya doin'? What happened to all that power that Golett was supposed to have? What happened to the power ya could easily use with Lampent?" he asked, Natsu unable to answer, the former placing him back on the ground, and turning his attention to Torkoal. "Torkoal! You gotta get in there, and protect Golett; if he goes, then our chances are goin' down the drain!" he shouted, Torkoal doing its best to run towards where Golett was.

Beginning to cover itself in a thin barrier, most likely a Protect attack, Torkoal was quickly shot off to the side by a sudden attack from the only other pokémon in the battle. As Torkoal slid across the grass, it tried to regain its balance, it was quickly attacked from behind, by Hitmonlee again, the fighting type paying it back for the attack is had used earlier, Torkoal never given the chance to fight back or prepare any defense.

"That's right, Hitmonlee, make sure that this battle is our victory from start to finish," Maaya said, Amira more focused on the constant dodging that Golett was able to keep up. "Why don't you let up on the kid, and put a bit of that power into taking out this weakling?" she said, Maaya nodding, moving her head to the side, motioning for Duosion to move towards Torkoal, the psychic type giving off a small sneer as it turned to the fire type.

"Psychic," she said quietly, Duosion letting a quick blast of psychic power towards Torkoal, Hitmonlee jumping into the air seconds before the attack connected.

"Powerful or not, a new pokémon just doesn't have the strength a fully trained one does," Maaya said, the entirety of the blast coming down onto Torkoal, the fire type barely able to stand anymore, but still forcing itself to.

"We ain't giving up just like that!" Judai shouted, Torkoal's mouth about to release another Flamethrower attack which didn't worry Amira, nor did it Maaya as she snapped her fingers, alerting both Torkoal and Judai to Hitmonlee soaring down from the sky, its foot pointed downward towards Torkoal.

Even as Torkoal tried to jump out of the way, Hitmonlee simply swung its leg towards it, picking it up, and launching it skyward from where it had tried to escape to. Hitmonlee gave a small nod to Duosion who met Torkoal in the air, releasing another blast of Psychic towards the fire type, sending it straight back down to the ground where Hitmonlee met it in the air. Spinning its body around, Hitmonlee quickly swept Torkoal down to the ground where it landed on its shell, unconscious upon impact. Judai looked down at the Torkoal, unable to think of how he could've lost so suddenly, and then turned his gaze to Natsu. He didn't say anything, he just stared, his eyes not angry, but more disappointed.

"Good job, Torkoal," he said, Torkoal being placed back into his ball. "It's all on you now, Natsu-kun," he said, Natsu still unable to move from where he stood, gripping onto his pant leg, looking down the battlefield at the figure of his Golett staring at him with angered hollow eyes. "He don't have to say anything to ya in order to get his point across, does he?" he asked, Natsu shaking his head.

"It looks like an open and shut case now," Kaname said, Sableye jumping onto his shoulder. "Guess Judai built him up to much. What do you think, Sienna?" he asked, the other spectator not making any reaction.

"It's just too sad that Natsu-kun had to be put into this situation so early in his time here," she said, Kaname nodding in agreement. "If there were ever time that a comeback could be made, though, this would be the pivotal moment," she said, both Duosion and Hitmonlee standing on either side of the ghost type.

"You done, kid?" Maaya asked, Natsu still staring at Golett, the hollow eyes piercing harder than Maaya's ever could. "This could all end right now, you know, you just have to call yourself weak, you know," she said Amira turning to her, definitely not agreeing to the terms to stop the battle. "Just say, 'I'm a weak little boy, and Maaya-sama was right about me all along,'" she said, Hitmonlee and Duosion taking the initiative to go in for the attack, surprising both of their trainers.

"Well, now that's interesting," Kaname said, noticing that both Duosion and Hitmonlee were prepared to attack Golett. "Even if they are independent pokémon by nature, would they really go in for an attack without their trainers' instruction?"

"And this is where the real power that Natsu has can show through," Sienna said, both of the seniors turning to the two sophomore students, focused on the shorter of the two. "If he really does have any to begin with."

"Hitmonlee!" Maaya shouted to the fighting type who just turned to the side to stare at his trainer. "Who told you to attack. Nothing you do will have any effect on that thing!" she shouted, the fighting sneering at her as he continued to go in for the attack. "What are you doing? Amira, can't you control your Duosion?" she asked, Amira not facing her, and instead just looking down the field towards Natsu, whose eyes were beginning to form tears in the corner, not paying any attention to the fact her pokémon was now bombarding Golett in Energy Ball attacks..

"I-I," he started, getting the attention of both the trainer and pokémon alike. "I am weak," he said, Golett staring down at him, its eyes wide with shock. "Nothing about me is strong. I hide all the time from everything that scares me. I can't even look people in the eye, and now I'm putting my friend through something he should never," he said, looking up, Golett's expression becoming lighter even amidst the attacks it was going through, as he fell down to his knees and hands, looking up at both of the trainers. "Please," he started, Golett beginning to shake its fists in anger. "Say or do anything you want with me, just don't hurt my friend!" he shouted, Hitmonlee and Duosion both showing off a snicker of condescension as they both turned around to continued their attack, but found that Golett was no longer there.

Both pokémon looked on all sides of them, until their eyes went up to the sky, finding that Golett had jumped into the air, its fist pointed down, and letting off a dark shadowy trail behind it. The attack immediately connected with Duosion, the psychic type flying across the battlefield until it went out of the boundary lines, Golett staring directly in its direction, its fist shining in the ominous power. Duosion barely was able to send another sneer its way before fainting from the impact. Returning it to its pokéball, Amira looked down at the Golett, and then down to Natsu who was just as surprised as she was at the sudden initiative shown by the ghost type, finding herself letting out a small smile towards him.

"Hitmonlee, get out of there now, there's no way you're gonna be able to win this battle!" Maaya shouted, Hitmonlee easily blocking her out as he launched itself forward, its foot extending forward. "Get back here now!" she shouted, holding her pokéball out, but finding that the beam was cut off by Amira who just shook her head.

"What are ya gonna use?" Judai asked, Golett thrusting its fist back, a large amount of power beginning to become focused on the one spot, Natsu just watching the attack from her held himself up.

"Don't fight the power, Golett," he said, Judai looking down at him, confused by what he was saying. "Do not fight against the power, or it will fight you, and then the attack will never work. The power is your ally, but will quickly becoming your destroyer," he continued, Judai trying to remember where he had heard that before. "Give yourself to the power, Golett," he said quietly, Golett releasing any form of resistance he had on the power in his fist, instantly rocketing around in a circle once before connecting with Hitmonlee, making another turn around before the fighting type was launched directly in front of Maaya.

"…N-No way," Maaya said, seeing her pokémon defeated by the single punch, still in the same punch from the attack, forcing her to return her pokémon back to its ball. "Humph, celebrate all you want," she said, already seeing Judai look at her with a triumphant look. "Just know that if was a pokémon that would listen to me, this battle would have ended very differently!" she said, before walking back to the school building, Amira bowing to both of them, and flashing another smile towards Natsu, as she left another note, Judai chuckling as he bolted for the slip of paper before the other had a chance.

"Wonder what kinda sweet nothins' she left for ya this time," he said, reading the note aloud for even the seniors to hear. "'Natsu, you did good today, no matter what the outcome was, I wish to be your friend, and that in the future both of us can work together to come over our own fears. Sincerely, Amira," Judai read, Natsu looking up at him as he simply gave off that same mischievous look he almost always had one when it came to Amira and Natsu over the past twenty four hours.

"What do you think, Sienna?" Kaname asked, the other senior standing up as she walked away from the battlefield. "He's not as weak as we originally thought, huh? He may be even stronger than us."

"Natsu is no battler, but his pokémon help to make up for that lack of his life," she said, the words cutting through like a knife. "He allows himself to believe what others tell him about himself, and that's where he becomes weak in body and mind. He believes that his pokémon would be better off without himself, and this is where his strength comes from," she said, Kaname looking at her with a crooked smile. "He lacks strength in mind, and strength in body, but he has a strength that not just any other trainer can attain," she said, looking down at Natsu, trying to get the note out of Judai's hand as he dangled it over his head. "He has one of the strongest hearts ever," she said, disappearing into the scenery, clutching the turquoise necklace.

"Hmm," Kaname said, standing up before walking away like his classmate. "I don't know, I think he's hiding from us, and if that's the source of his power, is it really based on his heart, I wonder," he said, stretching his arms behind his back before walking back to the school building, Judai still teasing Natsu about Amira's letter.

* * *

As both Judai and Natsu walked back to the ghost dorm, to deliver the news to Koichi, Natsu looked down at his pokéball where Golett sat, smiling slightly at the thought of being able to be like the other side of him without the cloak for the first time. After reaching the dorm, Judai quickly froze as he took a deep breath in through his nose, a small stream of drool appearing from the of his mouth. Forgetting about the battle like that, he slid the door open, and walked into a darkened room, making him look around suspiciously. After Judai took a step into the dorm, the lights instantly turned on, Natsu recoiling almost instantly, holding his eyes in pain.

"CONGRATULATIONS!" a large portion of Natsu's and Judai's class shouted, along with Koichi and the headmistresses, welcoming in the two, Natsu still rubbing his eyes, trying to adjust them as quickly as he could.

"Not good with the bright lights, are ya?" he asked, Natsu shaking his head as the two entered the main lounge area where Natsu sat in between at least three of the girls from his class, and Asuka standing behind him. "Oh, I can't wait to see where this leads to," he said, Koichi nodding. "So why the big spread, sensei?" he asked, Koichi's eyes instantly watering out of happiness.

"The students came to me, telling me that because he won the battle, they wanted to throw him a party in this dorm," Koichi said. "I haven't had this many people in this dorm since I started working here, and the thought of it being like this again brings a tear to my eye."

"That's sad, dude," Judai said, Natsu finally able to open his eyes, and quickly realize where he was sitting, his face quickly becoming red. "And here's the big moment," he said, both he and Koichi watching intently.

"You ready for your prize, Nacchan?" one of the girls asked, the two at his arms quickly grabbing him, and moving as close as they could to the sides of his face. "Ready," she started, Natsu looking at both of them, unable to move as they moved in closer. "Go!" she shouted, quickly grabbing a camera as the two planted their lips on his cheeks, Natsu's head letting out a smoke plume high enough to be considered a smoke signal. "Our turn!" she said playfully as she and Asuka grabbed him in the same way, kissing him on his cheeks again, the smoke coming from his head enough to the fill the room before he fainted out of stress, the girls around him giggling, Koichi and Judai both bursting out laughing.

While chuckling over his reaction, Judai looked at Natsu trying to get out from in between all of his admirers and the headmistress, he looked back at him, remembering the small dialogue he made while Golett was using Dynamic Punch. _"I know I've heard someone say the same thing about the same move, I wonder where it was,"_ he said. _"I could be thinking about it too much, but I wonder if where I heard it before and the person I heard it from today are the same."_

* * *

Alone in a dimly lit room, Amira sat at her desk, writing in a small journal, chuckling over what she was writing as Kirlia and Duosion watched her from the top bunk in her bedroom. As she turned off the light over the page, she quickly climbed into her bed, both of her pokémon floating towards the open page.

"_It's been an interesting couple of days,"_ it read, the two continuing to look back at their trainer. _"I was able to finally meet the dorm head from the ghost dorm, and he seems like a good kid. He reminds me a lot of myself, and for some reason when he touched me, it didn't make me as sick as quickly. I wonder if it's because he reminds of me of myself, or if there's another reason why he does that to me. All I know is that we both believe that silence is a virtue unto itself, the smallest voice often coming through the loudest in any setting."_

* * *

Character Appearances:

Natsu Kohashigawa: Lampent & Golett. NightFall00

Judai Ryuzaki: Monferno & Torkoal. Jexo

Maaya Yoshida: Hitmonchan & Hitmonlee. emmausgirl94

Amira Khumalo: Kirlia & Duosion. FlyPandaBear

Kaname Misaki: Sableye, other pokémon TBA. Ariesbird

Sienna Smith: Vibrava, other pokémon TBA. Fluttersong

* * *

Notes:

Maaya's Speech: Something you may have noticed through the chapter is that there are times when you see people not refer to people by honorifics, and Maaya is the single most perpetrator. This isn't necessarily a problem in Japanese culture, but when done in the wrong context it can be seen as pretty offensive. We all know Japanese honorifics as names you add at the end of a person's name, and in many cases, it shows the relationship between two people; teacher to student, boss to employee, or friend to friend. In the last case, in many cases, there is an apparent lack of honorific being used, and this is usually seen between two friends, or family members where no pet names are being used (see Nacchan note in The Truth in the Lie). While people in other areas of the world, especially the Americas and Europe may not see this as a big deal, it is considered to be a sign of either disrespect or closeness between two people. There is an actual term for this, yobisute, written with the kanji for "call" and "discard." Maaya, while being able to do this with Amira due to a closeness, is obviously not doing this for Natsu, and instead showing how much she disrespects him.

Gothic: A common lifestyle choice of many people, where the common theme is a natural love for the dark and shadows, or anything associated with evil is what we know today as Goth. But the Goth culture isn't as recent as you may think, and originated in Germanic countries, far before the sixteenth century. Gothic people were eventually taken over by the Huns in the fourth century, with a small group escaping to the Danube where the revolted against the Roman empire. Today, when people refer to this kind of Gothic culture, they are referring to the architecture, artwork, lost language, and religion, which is, in reality, a branch of Christianity. How it became the way it is now, I'll never know. All I can tell you, Maaya wasn't referring to this side of the Goths when she was talking about Natsu.

Turquoise: The stone on the necklace that Sienna wears is described as turquoise which is more than a reference to the color, but the actual mineral. Since I've started taking a geology course, I've been learning how certain minerals are formed, and also the origins of their names. Turquoise was most likely not a color before it was a gem, and more of the other way around, coming in from Turkey to France in the late sixteenth century, the latter deciding to call it an archaic word for the word which was, as one would guess, _Turquoise_. Turquoise is formed with the elements copper, aluminum, and is hydrous phosphate when found in nature, and is much more valuable by this time, not having gone through the treatment that many gems go through in order to be sold. Turquoise, outside of the science and history, is the birthstone of the month of December, has been used in many different jewelries and decorations since the time of the ancient Egyptians and Aztecs, and, like any gem, is thought to have some kind of special power. In simple symbolism, the stone also symbolizes friendship.

* * *

Chapter two complete. Man, I really do have no life. Three chapters within the first four days that this story has come out, maybe it's a good sign that I can keep this up for a while. Obviously I'm gonna have to get a bit slower in updating, seeing as I still do have school, and my Russian teacher is getting a little annoyed with our class; some people are having a bit of trouble with the grammar, but what can you do. So, I'm down to six more OCs to introduce, and I hope with this, a bit more foreshadowing has been shown, and hopefully I can get more into the other characters after they've been introduced. Until next time, ja nee.


	4. The Truth in Asking

Hey, guess who, it's me again with the next chapter of H.D.D, and I have to say that writing these chapters one after the other is very rewarding in itself, but even more so because you all are being so good to tell me what you think, and so far, there have been no complaints. This says that you either all love it, or you all are sparing my feelings which I hope is not the case. So to recap, I've introduced six characters so far out of the twelve main characters in this story; Natsu Kohashigawa, Judai Ryuzaki, Maaya Yoshida, Amira Khumalo, Kaname Misaki, and Sienna Smith. Obviously, I'm not going to bombard you with OCs in this chapter, but by the end of the next chapter all of them will be introduced, which I cannot say for their pokémon, but at least their partners. I think what's helping me bust these chapters out one by one is that I really can relate to how quiet Natsu is, and how people have tried to become friends with me over the years. You've heard enough, let's get going with this party.

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN POKÉMON, BECAUSE IF I DID, GHOSTS AND DRAGONS WOULD NOT BE WEAK TO THEMSELVES.**

* * *

Chapter 3: The Truth in Asking

A lot of people have different ways of learning, which is something everybody can contest to. No two people ever learn the exact same way, and differ at least in one aspect. This isn't a thing where the differences are noticeable, like with finger prints or anything well known to be different, but the differences are often subtle, and in some ways, nonexistent to an untrained eye. But the people who have trained their eyes to see these differences have always been held in high regard by others. The calculating eye of a doctor, able to notice even the smallest abnormality in a patient's body, the eye of a scientist, able to see how things have changed in the course of history from where it is now, and where it was before, or even the eye of the man who is just willing to ask the right question. It is never clear to some people what this question actually is, but it is often the one we ask the most often, either to our parents, teachers, friends, or anybody we ask it to. The question we have to be willing to ask, to have the trained eye is the question "why."

* * *

It was the day after the battle initiated by Maaya, and by extension, but not by willingness by any means, Amira when things started to get, in a way, worse for Natsu, the boy never really having a moment's peace since the afternoon of his battle. The fact of him becoming the newest dorm head for the ghost dorm, and from what Koichi continued to say, he was the first one in several years. As a result, even though he didn't want to do it, the teacher began to get his plan to advertise the dorm back in motion, the single resident of his dorm already dreading the next few days ahead, for reasons going past the advertisement.

As Judai and Natsu walked through the hall towards the cafeteria, both having forgotten their lunch, and Natsu not willing to be fed by the girls in his class, both noticed that several people began whispering to each other as they passed by, the name Natsu passing through their teeth as they spoke. At the sound of how much attention he was getting, Judai couldn't help but grin as he turned his attention to Natsu, who was obviously not sharing his friend's excitement on the subject.

"Oh come on, Natsu-kun," he said, shaking his shoulders. "Just bask in the glory a little bit. This is just the beginnin' for ya, trust me. You gotta learn to love this kinda stuff," he explained, waving to some of the people talking about the two of them. "You especially, if ya want Yamada-sensei off your back about this whole advertisement thing. You've got no idea what that dude's gonna make you do. All I can tell you is that if it's him, it won't be good," he said, Natsu already seeming very aware of his situation.

"W-What do you think he'll make me do?" Natsu asked, Judai finding this to be the perfect opportunity.

"Well, speakin' from experience, myself, I can't really tell ya what would happen," he answered. "All I can tell ya is that you better have Lampent walk in everywhere before you, because with a guy like Yamada-sensei, he would kidnap you, tie you up, and may even make you cross-dress if it meant he could get more to come to the dorm. But then again, what other choice do ya have? It might be better to get it over with, or find somewhere else to stay until this blows over."

"W-Where else would I stay?" Natsu asked in reply, a small glint appearing in the corner of Judai's eye.

"Ya could always bunk in the psychic dorm with Amira," he said casually, continuing to walk by as a plume of smoke appeared from Natsu's already red face. "Oh come on, I'm pretty sure the fact ya may have a thing for her is already halfway around the school," he said in his ear, Natsu making a quick sprint towards the staircase for the cafeteria, Judai chuckling. "Ah, the spring could not have come at a better time, for this young man's fancy will shortly turn to love," he said, hearing a loud thud towards the bottom of the first staircase. "Hey, you okay?"

Rounding the corner to where the opening for the staircase was, Judai looked down at the bottom, and found Natsu on the ground, his back flat up against it, somebody supporting themselves by their arms directly above him, her hair rolling of her shoulders, and onto Natsu's arms as he tried to get back up. Opening his eyes to see where he was, and the girl on top of him moving in closer to look at him, he practically disappeared, a smoky silhouette all that remained underneath the girl as she looked up at Natsu, who, by this point, was cowering in the corner, Judai simply shaking his head.

Unlike everybody else that Natsu had met, this girl was shorter, barely scratching the five foot mark with a fairly light build, nothing like Maaya, Amira, or Sienna, not boasting much of a developed body, with a pale skin complexion. Her hair was a jet black color, falling down her back and completely over her eyes, not leaving much evidence about her eyes. Although, when Natsu was underneath her, he could easily see her eyes as a crystal blue color, much like the sky without a cloud. Her wardrobe consisted of a pink sweater over, what seemed to be by the pieces of fabric sticking out of the open ends of the sweater, a blue dress shirt, and a pair of black colored jeans ending just shy of her white sneakers. Above her, a small pokémon buzzed, the wings beating faster as it moved back and forth from its trainer's left to right side; Ledian.

"So it seems the two of ya have finally met," Judai said, walking down to where both people sat, several other students watching what had happened at the bottom, or top of the staircase, depending on which end they were. "Natsu-kun, this is Mika Saito, junior student, and flying dorm head," he said, Natsu slightly surprised by her age, but quickly finding it believable seeing as he was the epitome of people looking younger than they were. "Sorry about this, Saito-senpai," he said, Mika not exactly caring what Judai was saying, and instead, crawled back over to where Natsu was sitting.

"Your…" she started, reaching her hand out, touching his cheek, Natsu's face instantly becoming red upon contact. "Your eyes," she continued, ending inches from his face, holding his head with both of her hands on his cheeks. "Your eyes, they're so beautiful, just like the sky," she said, her hair parting to the side, showing off at least one of her similarly colored eyes, Natsu blushing all the more as Mika moved in closer to look at his eyes, his head releasing steam like no tomorrow.

"Senpai, it might be better if ya let him go," Judai said, Mika looking up at him confused, suddenly hearing a thud against the wall behind Natsu. "Whoop, too late," he said, Mika looking down, finding Natsu unconscious while she was still holding his head, but his head angled back against the wall, his face completely red, and steam coming out of the top.

"Did I do something bad?" she asked, Judai nodding quickly.

* * *

In the infirmary wing of the school, Natsu's body was left on one of the beds, Mika standing a good few feet away from it, given what had just happened, Judai sitting by it, rubbing his temples as he turned to Mika, the smaller girl looking as apologetic as possible. He smiled, and then turned back to Natsu before standing up when Koichi burst into the infirmary wing, the door sliding open fast enough to kill a man had it been going in the other direction. Looking over in Natsu's direction, seeing him lying down on the bed, his breathing normal, no abnormalities of any kind, Koichi quickly let out a sigh of relief.

"Next time you tell me that Natsu-kun's in the infirmary, please be specific as to why, Ryuzaki," he said, the two students both tilting themselves to the left to see the damage did to the door, finding the side of the direction it slid inward splintered, cracked, bowed, and, for all intents and purposes, destroyed. "What?" he asked, turning around to see the damage done. "Ah, they can fix that."

"That and ya won't have to worry about them knowin' it was you, 'cause barely anybody knows ya anyway," Judai said, Mika nodding agreement. "Natsu-kun's fine, just had a bit too much stress built up from Mika-senpai is all."

"Understandable," Koichi said, walking towards Natsu, holding one of his eyes open. "The day that I ever see that kid acting normal around a girl is going to be the day that a very warm place will freeze over."

"Thanks for making my day so much brighter," Mika said from the side, both Judai and Koichi turning to look at her with apologetic smiles. "It's just too bad I can't look into those eyes without scaring him," she said, a depressed sigh coming over her voice, both of the other two in the other room slightly confused by her meaning. "That light blue color isn't something that everybody has. So longing and peaceful, just like the open sky."

"Good to know ya have a good reason for pinin' for your kohai," Judai said, Mika turning to him, a smile on her face.

"I don't like him that way," she said. "It's just not often that I can find somebody with the same kind of eyes as my real love," she said, the Ledian above her, landing on the windowsill, pointing towards the sky, using it as an explanation for its trainer's meaning. "Thank you for making the obvious even more so, Angel," Mika said, the Ledian shrugging its shoulder, fluttering back into the air.

"You really are a part of the flying element dorm, aren't you?" Koichi asked, Mika simply nodding, the teacher nodding in the same way, turning his attention back to Natsu's whose face had already become a bit calmer, and was now breathing more easily. "I think you'll be okay to talk with him, just without getting close, okay, Mika-kun?" he said, Mika nodding as she walked towards the window, staring up at the sky as Judai and Koichi left the room, the former still not having gotten his lunch yet.

After they left, Mika turned to face Natsu's sleeping face, and slowly walked towards him, placing the back of her hand along his cheek, Natsu stirring slightly until he was facing directly towards her, his easy breaths almost visible. Mika smiled lightly, holding her head up with her arms, her elbows keeping her up, staring at Natsu's face for a few minutes before standing up, and walking back over towards the window, opening it slightly, and allowing a cooling breeze to enter through the opening. As the window blew against the same cheek Mika had touched, Natsu smiled slightly.

"He sure is like the sky," she said, holding her head up with a single arm, her elbow resting on the windowsill. "He's so innocent; he does what he does, and doesn't know why. He is seen as both something that is the very symbol of peace, but can quickly change to another side within an instant. The only thing is, though, we aren't able to blame him, because he knows nothing of what he does, and blaming him would be reprimanding him for something he doesn't understand. It'll be fun to see where his journey leads him," she said, closing the window, continuing to watch Natsu sleep.

* * *

Back in another class, the entirety of the class seemed to be forced towards to the edges of the wall from the tension let off by one of the students sitting with her feet propped up onto the desk, her teeth grinding together as the teacher continued to drone on, unaware of what was happening to the class behind him. With her arms folded over her chest, the girl, anyone could see as Maaya was obviously still brooding over her loss to Natsu, continuing to see the boy's face on the face of anybody she looked at, Hitmonchan standing behind her, chuckling nervously, trying to find the strength to stay by his trainer. Eventually looking back at the teacher, the back of his head quickly becoming the timid face Natsu had, Maaya snapped, grabbing her pencil case, and throwing it as hard as she could. Upon impact, the teacher fell forward slightly, looking behind him, his eyes scanning the room, eventually finding the entirety of the class pointing at Maaya.

"So, you continue to see this as your personal playground, Yoshida-san," the teacher said. "This will not go unnoticed by the headmistress another time."

"Wanna bet?" she asked, sitting back down in the same position, her legs crossing over the other. "Besides, nobody else is listening to you. What're you gonna do, punish everybody in the class? Then you really will have no one to listen to this garbage," she said, the sound of his work being called garbage piercing the teacher through the heart, the result being him falling to the ground in a pathetic heap. _"That stupid kid!"_ she said, still grinding her teeth over her loss. _"You only won because Hitmonlee wouldn't listen to me, and you and I both know that. You don't have any special talent except for getting girls to baby you,"_ she said, turning to the rest of the class, two other people not stuck to the wall, Amira, and what could probably be another dorm head, with his pokémon fluttering behind him in all directions.

He was much taller than any other dorm head than most had met before, standing at a height of six foot three, sporting an athletic build, not as much as muscle as others, though. His hair was a neatly combed black color, reaching to the center of his neck, and over his forehead, just shy of his eyes. His eyes, an amber color, quickly scanned everything around him, and then returned to looking forward, but would alternate between looking forward, and towards everything around him. For a wardrobe, he wore a white t-shirt underneath a black hooded jacket, a pair of blue jeans like most people, a pair of black trainers, and a red baseball cap with the bill in a reversed direction. As said before, the pokémon behind him was fluttering behind him, the movements behind him being the most random or scattered that anyone had ever seen, eventually finding its way to the top of its trainer's head; Mothim.

There really wasn't anything to say about him, other than the fact he was looking at everything around, which really wasn't as much an understatement as it was an actual fact. It seemed that even a piece of chalk falling from the end of the stick the defeated teacher was using would have been noticed by this boy. With his Mothim chattering at him, trying to pull his head over to where Maaya was staring at him, the boy simply brushed it off, Maaya seeing it as an insult, quickly grabbing an eraser, and chucking it across the room, to where he sat. Amira, feeling the eraser pass behind her, a sudden gust of wind following, she turned to where the targeted boy was, seeing a trail of steam in his outstretched hand as he continued to look at everything around him. Slowly opening his hand, the boy held the eraser, and calmly threw it back to Maaya, who, by this point, was royally ticked.

"You dropped something," he said, Amira feeling as though she was in the middle of an impending bloodbath. "It might be better if you don't so much moisturizer in the morning, it obviously makes your hands slippery," he said, continuing to simply look down at a small notepad in front of him, jotting down everything he saw around him. "Either that, or it's not so much the moisturizer that's making your hands so slippery, it could be the increased sweat appearing on them from nervous rage after losing in a battle," he said, Maaya having a vein pop in her forehead as Amira slowly sunk her head down into the seat, as did the other students in the class.

"You want to start something, Takeru?" Maaya asked, walking up to the boy, Mothim fluttering from his head as the boy, apparently named Takeru, turned to Maaya, looking up at her with a very relaxed, laid back look as opposed to Maaya's enraged expression.

"You should consider going up a size," Takeru said plainly, Maaya looking down at him confused, Amira widening her eyes out of shock, her face slightly red from the suggestion. "Constriction can cause certain problems and discomfort, you know," he said, Maaya quickly blushing, wrapping her arms over her chest. "I thought I was being helpful," Takeru said, turning to face Amira, who would rather not have been part of the conversation, the former quickly becoming the victim of a quick punch from Hitmonchan.

"He's not worth it," Maaya said, walking back to her seat, still embarrassed to look in Takeru's direction. "But hit him one more time for me, okay?" she said, Takeru looking at her confused, quickly getting punched again by Hitmonchan, forcing his face onto the desk. "That's what you deserve," she said folding her arms back over her chest, looking back over at Takeru who had already recovered, and began jotting down more notes, Amira leaning back to see what he was writing.

"_Mental Note: Girls get offended when you talk to them about their bodies,"_ she read to herself, blushing slightly at how casually Takeru was able to write about stuff like this. _"I know that Takeru-kun has been an observant person, but to this degree it becomes something where he might want to seek out professional help,"_ she said to herself. _"But then again, there are a lot of people who could stand a bit of help from others, psychologically speaking. Maaya-chan with her anger management, myself with my own problems, and then maybe even Natsu-kun,"_ she contemplated, suddenly seeing Natsu's blushing face in front of her. _"Why am I thinking about him like that? It can't be that I actually like him," _she said, shaking her head from side to side, which did not go unnoticed by both Maaya, and definitely not Takeru.

"_If that little brat did anything to Amira to make her look at him that way, I will personally kill him,"_ Maaya said, gritting her teeth again, and cracking her knuckles, suddenly looking over at Takeru who was already writing down notes, his eyes shifting back and forth from his notepad to Amira. _"And if you try to do anything to figure her out in your sick ways, you'll be next, weirdo."_

* * *

Natsu woke up about an hour after his episode on the staircase, opening his eyes slowly, looking form side to side where he slept, eventually turning on his side where Mika was sitting, still watching the sky, and the clouds rolling across it, her face much more serene than when he first saw it. He wasn't sure whether it was the lack of being able to see her eyes, or the fact she was doting on his own that made her seem more calm, but even as she turned to face him, knowing he was awake, she didn't seem as threatening to her…probably had more to do with the distance between the two. Sitting up in the bed, Natsu looked down at his own hands laying front of him, never looking at Mika, but the latter knew he was going to speak eventually.

"I-I," he stammered, unable to bring himself to say anything to a girl staring at him so earnestly. "I-I'm s-sorry for m-making t-things so h-hard f-for you today. S-Staying w-with me has b-brought y-you an in-inconvenience, h-hasn't it?" he asked, Mika giggling slightly at his stuttering.

"I don't know; it was good excuse to stay out of class today, and I got to meet somebody with a set of really beautiful eyes," she said, jumping back slightly as she walked towards the door. "You better get to class before a teacher gets mad at you for skipping out too much," she said, Natsu simply nodding in agreement, still unable to face her, or do anything about his speaking with her, and instead could only watch as she left through the door, a quick wave leaving her hand.

Natsu was still unable to look up, even though Mika had already left. To his left, Lampent was sleeping soundly just as he always did, and he already knew that Golett was back in his dorm, still recovering from the battle. Instead of looking up, Natsu pivoted his seated position so he was facing outward, his feet on the ground in front of him, looking to his side, seeing another boy in the doorway, a large red mark on his face as though he had just a close encounter with a table, or something like that. The boy didn't look directly at Natsu, even though the latter was watching him grab a bag of ice from the supply kit, placing it over one of his eyes.

"E-Excuse me," Natsu said, the boy looking down at him, a sudden raise in his eyebrow as his visible eye began scanning Natsu from top to bottom, a sudden clanging sound heard outside. "What was that?" Natsu asked, the boy sighed, sticking his head out the door, sinking his head at the sight of a Mothim fumbling to fly straight through the hall, impacting with anything that could have been knocked over.

"It's like he has a sixth sense for that kind of stuff," the boy said, apparently knowing the pokémon as his own. "Takeru Sanjero," the boy said, holding out his hand which Natsu was a little less nervous about shaking. "Based on the Lampent, I take it you're that kid that really got to under Maaya-san's skin, huh?" he asked, Natsu slightly nodding. "Most people would consider it a good thing to take her down a couple of pegs, but at the current moment, it'd be best to hide when you see her, okay?" he asked Natsu nodding again, Takeru staring down at him, a definite questioning look in his eyes as Mothim eventually found its way to the top of his head. "So…" he started, kneeling down in front of Natsu, so he would be able to see him better. "Are you a guy or a girl?" he asked, a sudden pause following directly after, Natsu's head sinking down past his shoulders at the question.

"G-Guy," he said, Takeru still a little skeptical but shrugging it off as he pulled out his notepad, quickly writing something down. "W-What are you doing?"

"Just a little thing I do," Takeru said, placing the notepad back in his pocket. "I have a brain that can barely remember, and things that are small in detail are usually what I notice a bit more often than the big picture. Writing stuff like that just helps to cope for that, and let's face it, people like you are definitely worth remembering," he said, Natsu letting out a depressed sigh from the revelation. "Boy, you're worse than the rumors."

"R-Rumors?" Natsu asked. "W-What kind of rumors?"

"I think it might've just been Maaya-san talking smack about you, but she did say that you were about the biggest wimp in the world when it came to girls," Takeru explained, Natsu head sinking past his shoulders. "Not to mention, she said that with the way you normally acted, a makeshift noose wouldn't be too far off as your next arts and crafts project. All in all, though, from the way you actually are, I am still skeptical of a few things," he started, Natsu looking up at him. "Your sanity, along with your gender," he said bluntly, Natsu freezing in place as he fell back onto the bed. "Touchy subject, huh? I'll make a note of that."

As Takeru began scribbling away at his notepad, he felt Mothim leave the top of his head, and flutter around in all directions, until he landed on top of Natsu's head, its wings fanning him. Feeling the wind from the wings, Natsu sat back up, and felt Mothim land in his lap in front of him, prompting him to place a hand on top of the bug type's head, stroking it along the top of its head, down to its wings, the latter chirping satisfactorily. Seeing a small smile appear on Natsu's face, Takeru gave a half smile, flipping the next page of his notepad over, and scribbling something new.

"_It would appear that Natsu Kohashigawa, among all of his problems; effeminate and younger appearance, depression, fear of just about everything, and general lack of backbone is nothing if not kind to any pokémon he meets,"_ he began narrating to himself, as he watched Mothim's content smile grow in its eyes. _"Pokémon are often described as creatures that have no capabilities of being evil, and are only at the beck and call of their trainers. But for a boy like Natsu, it would appear as though he has no qualms about any pokémon, so long as it's willing to take the first step to understand him at the start. Maybe this is what draws people to him; a connection to pokémon that most can scarcely understand. And maybe this is what Maaya-san is too blind to see, while Amira-san can see this perfectly."_

* * *

After leaving the infirmary behind Takeru, Natsu woke up Lampent, who followed after him, noticing his trainer to be more relaxed than he had been since coming, letting out a hollow, relaxed sigh. Natsu eventually made it back to his own class, but almost instantly heard a bell sound throughout the school, indicating the next class had just ended. Giving off another depressive sigh, Natsu stood at the side of the door, waiting for the teacher to leave the room first before going in himself. Looking back to the side of the door, still standing in wait for the teacher to leave the room, Natsu peered over into his classroom, the door opening as fast as possible, but what he met probably wasn't the most expected thing in the world.

"'Bout time you showed up," a female voice said, looking down at Natsu, easily seen as Maaya. "I've got a bone to pick with you, kiddo," she said, cracking her knuckles as Natsu leaned over to look at Judai, Amira standing right beside him with a sketchpad open to a page reading, "RUN!"

Natsu nodded in understanding, Maaya turning back to see what he was looking at, finding the suggestion on Amira's sketchpad, and then turning back to face her future victim. Looking down, though, Maaya could only see a silhouette of Natsu in the steam trail he left behind, quickly rounding the corner before the former even knew he was gone. As she quickly took off after him, Judai and Amira both poked their heads out of the classroom, looking at the other, shrugging their shoulders as they both ran after them.

"YOU AIN'T GETTING AWAY THAT EASY, SHRIMP!" Maaya shouted, already seeing Natsu round the next corner. "I've been here longer, so I know all of the shortcuts," she said quietly, stopping in the center of four different directions, making a quick turn to the left, not noticing Natsu hiding behind a depression in the wall's design.

Sighing out of relief of having escaped his pursuer, Natsu stepped out from his hiding spot, and moved further down the hall he had chosen to go down, eventually coming to a large door with a banner over it reading "Music Room." Suddenly hearing an exasperated sigh of frustration form the end of the hall, figuring it to be Maaya, Natsu quickly ducked into the music room, quickly closing the door behind him.

* * *

As Natsu looked behind him, he found the music room to be probably one of the larger rooms in the school complex, second only to the headmistress' office. Along the walls of the room were pictures of different composers, percussive instruments, stands for sheet music, rows of chairs, and towards the end of the room a large piano, carefully dusted and polished to keep its ever present sheen. Walking silently through the room towards the piano, a quick shrieking sound was heard from the end of the room, followed by a lyrical melody coming directly afterwards. Natsu looked all around him, eventually finding a girl sitting at one of the chairs, no music stand in front of her, but still proving herself able to play a flute as meticulous as any high ranking musician.

The melody continued to fill the room, not showing any signs of stopping, and as Natsu listened, he wasn't so sure that would be a bad thing. Allowing the gentle, legato sounds fill his ears, he let off a smile as the girl's long fingers glided across the body of her instrument, turning every motion she did into a wide, quick, and flowing movement as though her playing was also part of her performance. Natsu wasn't sure whether she had seen him enter, nor if she could feel his presence in the room, but noticed that as she began to bring the song to a close, she removed the flute from her mouth, and turned to the side, allowing only one of her misty white eyes to be visible to Natsu.

She was definitely older, that much was for certain, and even when she was seated, Natsu could see her height as a five foot nine about, a fairly developed body frame apparent even from the side view. She was smiling as though she could see Natsu, but her eyes never stopped looking straight, his only clue to her knowing she was there was the small smirk in her mouth, a small canine apparent upon opening her mouth. Her hair was a bright red color, tied in a ponytail reaching the base of her back, and held together in a small bun with chopsticks, her bangs reaching just shy of her eyes, already seen as a ghostly white. With her hair tied back, Natsu did find that she had them pierced, with what seemed like a small black spike extending no more than half an inch. Aside from that, she wore a purple V-neck shirt, a pair of worn out pants reaching down to the middle of her lower leg, a pair of red shoes that were obviously worn for several years, a pair of black fingerless gloves, and a studded bracelet alternating in colors of green and black checkers. Sitting just below her, a large quadruped pokémon, with its body covered in metal armor; Lairon.

"Did you enjoy my performance?" she asked, Natsu reacting slightly to the sudden question, and the fact she never turned to face him, nor made any eye movement. "When you answer, could come up closer to me?" she asked, Natsu hesitantly walking towards her, a quick motion from her hand placing it on his chest. "Answer…" she said.

"I-It was beautiful," Natsu answered as a smile appeared on the girl's face, moving her hand away from his chest, beginning to take her flute apart, never looking down at the instrument itself. "E-Excuse me?" he asked, the girl simply raising an eyebrow. "A-Are you…?" he began to ask, trying not to sound insensitive.

"Blind?" she finished the question for him, Natsu giving a quiet yes. "Yes, I'm blind; can't see a thing. It's why I had you come closer; when you lie, your heartbeat begins to accelerate," she explained giggling slightly as she could tell Natsu was blushing from the way his hands began shuffling together. "I know you're just nervous about meeting me; I get it all the time," she said, clicking the locks on her flute case, and placing it in a bag on her Lairon's back. "Could I please have your face?" she asked, Natsu stuttering, confused by the meaning. "I want to know how you look," she explained, Natsu getting down to his knees, the girl holding out her hand, and placing it atop his head after finding his hair. "I'm June Kurosaki, by the way."

"N-Natsu Kohashigawa," Natsu replied, feeling June move her hands across his face, making a physical note of every single facial feature she could find on him. "D-Do you do this to everyone you meet?"

"Just the ones I want to be friends with," she answered, lightly gripping onto one of Natsu's strands of hair, following it down to where it ended. "Hmm, your chest feels like a boy's, but your face and hair are more like a girl's," she said, stroking his head as she could tell he was embarrassed, chuckling again at his reactions. "I'm sure the other girls must love being around you," she said, Natsu too embarrassed to answer. "I think I've heard of you from somewhere, though," she said, searching through the bag on Lairon's back, finding a booklet decorated only with a series of raised dots. "Ah, so you're the new competition, huh?" she asked, lifting up his head with a single finger.

"I-I guess," Natsu said, standing up, a disappointed look appearing on June's face. "Not that I wanted be in this fix," he said, June reaching up, flicking his forehead.

"You really are depressed, aren't you?" she asked, resting her hands on her hips, standing up, high above him, but leaning over to place her face directly in front of him. "You should happy up quick, before somebody starts to take advantage of that personality of yours," she said, standing back up straight, turning away from him, her arms folded across her chest. "Trust me, not everyone here is willing to be as friendly as some of us," she said, Natsu simply heaving out a heavy sigh, June quickly turning at the sound of it, shutting his mouth closed as quickly as she could as find it. "I may be blind, but even I can see a person who's letting their happiness escape," she said, suddenly hearing the eruption of steam from Natsu's head, followed by the feeling of his body going limp. "Man, this kid isn't the easiest to deal with, is he, Larry?" she asked, the Lairon looking up, grunting slightly as it turned its attention over to the Lampent still floating in the room.

Lampent stayed silent as it had, already aware that June was able to sense its presence, slowly floating to Natsu, hooking its arm under him, and taking him from June's hands. June moved her hands back, reaching them back out, soon finding the heat radiating from Lampent's body, the three quickly turning their attention to the door at the sound of a quick series of footsteps approaching the door, Lampent scrambling around the room, seeming to find a place to hide.

"Storage closet," June said, pointing in the direction from memory, Lampent quickly floating towards the closet, placing Natsu in first, and then going in itself, Lairon closing it with one push of its head. "Positions," she suddenly declared, Lairon running across the music room, and pushing a chair towards its trainer, the latter promptly sitting down after feeling the chair against the back of her legs.

As the door quickly swung open, June assumed a seated a position, one of her legs crossed the other with Maaya, followed by Amira and Judai, both out of breath while Maaya still seemed to be running off of excess adrenaline. June simply looked up, giving the impression she could see them, even though the others already knew of her condition, a wide smile appearing on her face. Maaya walked into the room, and walked up as close to her as Lairon would allow, the pokémon growling up at her.

"Did that little brat, Natsu, come by here, June?" she asked, June raising an eyebrow with the same smile on her face.

"I haven't seen anything," she said, Judai and Amira both chuckling over the small joke she made, Maaya obviously less than amused.

"That was only funny the first time, not the twenty third," she said, June shrugging her shoulders. "You know where he is, don't you?" she asked, beginning to lose her patience as June said nothing to neither confirm, nor deny her suspicious. "I hope you didn't get roped in by that face of his. He gets all those girls to treat him like some baby, and then he strikes. It'd be best to steer clear of him."

"I'll make a note of it," June replied, obviously not showing Maaya the respect she would've given any other. "I think you're overreacting, he's just a kid, anyway. Even if I did know where he was, it's not like I would be able to point out where he is. It'd probably be better if you just leave him alone."

"What did you say?" Maaya asked, about to walk closer, Lairon growling up at her again, Maaya backing up at the sight of Lairon's eyes. "If it turns out you are hiding him, don't expect that thing to be the one to save you," she said, about to walk out of the music room, pointing down at June's partner. "Let's go, Amira," she said, turning to Judai. "I guess you were here too, huh."

"Oh, one more thing, Amira-chan," June started, Amira being the last to leave the music room, turning to face the blind girl. "Natsu-kun seems like a nice kid, you obviously have the best tastes in men," she said with a mischievous smile on her face as Amira's face was tinted a red color before bowing while closing the door behind her. "It's clear," she said towards the storage closet, Lampent opening the door himself, still carrying the unconscious Natsu along with him. "He still out?" she asked, Lampent giving no more than a hollow sound as an answer. "Better take him back to his dorm before Maaya-chan knows he really is here," she said, Lampent bowing to her, aware that she couldn't see him, slowly floating out of the room.

After hearing the door close behind the ghost type, June stretched her arms out, standing up from her seated position, clicking her foot on the ground, hearing her Lairon's footsteps behind her. As she left the music room, hearing the footsteps of Natsu walking away by himself, and Lampent floating behind him, she gave out a small chuckle as she reached into the bag Lairon carried, finding a telescoping white cane that she extend and reached out in front of her.

"_You should be careful, Amira-chan,"_ she said to herself. _"A boy like Natsu-kun is quite a prize around here. He's cute, he's pretty caring about those around him, and he's just what a bunch of girls look for in a guy nowadays. If you're not quick to act on your feelings, he may pass his own off as nothing more than a simple crush, and somebody'll just snatch him up when you're not looking. You won't even know who it'll be, so don't be surprised if I'm that person,"_ she said, walking off in the opposite direction, Lairon following close behind her.

* * *

Later in the afternoon, alone in his own room, Takeru was left madly typing away at his computer, scanning every passing bit of information as it was presented to him, a dark figure passing by his vision that was seen for only split second, but the figure was unforgettable to the dorm head. Reaching the end of the website, he sat back in his chair, stretching his back out as far as it would allow, before snapping back into a hunched position, his eyes continuing down the information filling the webpage, before looking up at the scattered flight pattern of Mothim, sighing out of disappointment, but then noticed a pointed direction in its wing, a smirk appearing in the corner of his mouth.

"I take it you both are interested in what I'm doing," he said, simply looking back with his peripheral, looking down the path to where Kaname and Judai stood, staring down at the information streaming down his computer screen. "This kind of stuff is better when you look at it from close up, you know," he said, motioning for both of them to enter his room. "So how did you get in? Unlike that old ghost dorm, the bug dorm is one of the more secure areas on campus; only the school has a better security system, so how'd you two do it?"

"I did nothing," Kaname said, leaning against one of his walls, Judai doing the same on the opposite side. "By the time I got here to talk to you about whatever you're planning, Judai-kun had already found a way past the security system. Still don't know how he did it, though."

"I punched the control," he answered plainly, Takeru, his computer screen, and Kaname both freezing as they turned to face the sophomore. "Did ya know if ya punch one of those things out while they're still runnin', it shocks you a little bit?" he asked, a small twitch in his neck. "I think I'm gonna need to sit down for a bit," he said, walking towards Takeru's bed before sitting down.

"Okay," Kaname said, skeptical of Judai's sanity. "At any rate, we do need to know what you are researching. The headmistress has been monitoring your internet usage, and found that you've been doing a lot of research on that guy, Reaper. She sent us here to find out why."

"Women, can't live with 'em, can't get 'em to leave you alone for a second, huh," Takeru said, Judai letting out a small smirk as he was still left slightly spastic on the bed. "If she wants to know so badly, why send you two?" he asked, both Kaname and Judai looking at each other. "Anybody with a half a brain can tell that you two aren't exactly the most harmonious pair when it would come down to an interrogation, and nothing either of you say would be able to make my lips leak any secrets. Saruwatari-sensei has a deep attraction for Reaper, but I don't think she would go so far as to figure out the research other people are doing on him. Both of you have your own vendetta against this guy, and figure I'd be the one to talk to about this."

"You really think we'd be that insightful?" Kaname asked.

"Hey, I consider it a compliment," Judai said, finally able to stand up with a spark of static shock coming from his body. "But the dude does have a point, Kaname-senpai, had we really been called in by the headmistress, there ain't no way she would've let us do this together. Takeru-senpai knows us too well, despite only being here for a few weeks."

"It's not just the fact that I've been able to see how the two of you are so different, but it has more to do with the fact that both of you are so alike," he corrected. "Both of you wish to assume a leadership role, making decisions for yourselves, not having to listen to another person when they call your name. Both of you have a natural instinct to do things that most would deem unnecessary, superfluous, downright stupid, and moronic altogether. And while you two have a definite difference in overall skill level in terms of battling, and in terms of academics, one cannot deny that in the end, both of you have an atmosphere about you that makes you less likely to force things out of people as opposed to sweet talking your way through things."

"You think I'd rather talk than fight?" Judai asked, reaching down for Takeru.

"I do, because in the past two weeks I've had to observe you, you've used humor as your main weapon against others, obviously with a different result than when used by Kaname-senpai," he explained, quickly turning around to grip onto his arm. "You do have a daredevil kind of personality, but in terms of finding ways to manipulate people, should it ever come to that, you use your words, much like our own student body president here," he said, motioning towards Kaname. "And on the other side, Kaname-senpai may not crave for the same dangers you do daily, but instead he strives to do what he has to in order to keep people on his side. A true politician through and through."

"You're using the basic essence, and twisting things around to make them work to your explanation," Kaname said plainly, Takeru smirking as he turned back to his computer. "Had this been said by anybody else, I don't think it would have the same logical sounding atmosphere you give it."

"Anybody but yourself, president," Takeru said, making note of Kaname's position again. "While it's true that what I say is raw logic at best, and has no real application beyond what I use it for, one can't deny that in some funny way, it does work. And in the end, both of you cannot deny anything I say because you both know that it is true, and are simply afraid to accept being wrong. But what if I told you that I care little for both of you, and instead am after something even greater than the students of this school?" he asked, turning himself away from his desk, revealing a large, full screen shot of Reaper. "I've found the best way of contacting the Reaper, and am going to exploit it tonight."

"You intend to battle a man even gym leaders have come to respect as a master battler?" Kaname asked. "In terms of the students here, I have no qualms in saying that I rank among the top, and even I admit that this man has a skill that none of us are even close to coming to. But I am curious at how you've been able to contact him."

"Underground battling, because it's not sanctioned by the International Pokémon Battling League Association, is often accomplished through internet communications," Takeru explained. "All those registered to fight in underground battles are part of this website, and have to address themselves by some kind of a codename, and then their location in the world. Out of everybody, Reaper is the only one who will actually post a picture of himself online, and has been doing so since he surfaced nearly four years ago. Nobody knows where the 'Reaper' moniker came from, and soon accepted it as his actual name, never thinking to question the authenticity of his designation."

"So, what does this have to do with contacting him?" Judai asked, looking at the picture of Reaper's cloak trailing in front of him in the wind. "And how do we even know where he is right now?"

"The last time that Reaper had surfaced, he was just outside the school," Takeru explained, clicking into the profile page on Reaper. "According to this, Reaper's last known location was in Striaton City, and yet that post was placed nearly eight days ago. The day when he showed up outside our gate. Either the one that's been using this profile is not the Reaper, or he's been trying to conceal his location for a reason, and yet, there's nothing strange about the way he moves."

"What do you mean by that?" Kaname asked, Takeru clicking into a map on Reaper's profile, showing a line going in the directions all too random to be real. "You said that there was nothing strange about these movements."

"Yeah, they seem to be nothing more than movements meant to mask his location, but if you look at the map from farther away," Takeru began, zooming outwards, the map becoming smaller, but the line showing the direction Reaper moved in began to looking more as though the lines were crossing in more of a pattern. "The movements are actually a pattern to where he is actually in the region of Unova," he explained, a small portion highlighted by his computer, marked by the fact there weren't any lines crossing through the map.

"So Reaper's really been in this part of the region this whole time, and we've never even noticed it?" Judai asked, thinking back to when he saw Reaper outside the school gate, staring directly at him through his shaded visage. "So you seem to have a plan as to where you're going to meet him, why tell us about it?"

"I already said that you both have a reason for wanting to battle Reaper; Judai-kun for the promise you made to him when you first saw him, and Kaname-senpai, for nothing more if only to prove his own power to the mysterious masked battler," Takeru explained. "I have no desire to learn who he is, nor do I have any need to battle him in anyway, so, there's only one reason I would call him back to the school gates tonight at midnight," he said, a small smirk on his mouth before turning back to both of his schoolmates.

"You called him for us, didn't you?" Kaname asked, Takeru giving off the same smile. "You were counting on us coming in through here, weren't you? You have more faith in us than I originally thought," he said, Takeru taking off his cap to scratch his head quickly before placing it back on in the backwards position. "Misguided faith, but faith nonetheless."

"I have no reason to think that Reaper would be an easy battle for the two male dorm heads who wish for nothing but to prove themselves worthy of a title among no other who have battled him," Takeru explained. "My reasons for calling him for the both of you are merely to learn as I always must. His secret is as precious as our own, and if I am to learn anything from him, I need to know more about him. And learning about anybody is based on a simple principle."

"Observe the subject in their natural environment," Kaname said, Takeru nodding in agreement. "There's no actual way that you can ensure that simply watching the behaviors of other people who have battled to give you any kind of insight as to how he truly acts, and instead you need to look at the source. And yet, you seemed to be able to condone the use of your classmates as your guinea pigs for your learning session."

"You use your words, I'll use mine," Takeru said, Judai giving off a smile at the thought of being able to battle Reaper. "Believe me when I say this, kid, there won't be any way that you'll be able to leave that battle without an impression being put on you as to how the world of people who battle like that really are. You may have been able to see him on a good day, but when you battle him tonight, you'll be finding yourself in a world of battling you've never experienced."

"I'll bring my own notepad," Judai said, walking towards the window. "Well, if that's all we have to discuss, then I think I'll just take me leave, Senpai," he said, sliding it upwards until he was able to fit through it. "I'll see you both tonight," he said, quickly falling out, his head one a near collision course with the ground, Takeru and Kaname both looking down, trying to see if he would actually hit the ground.

As they looked down, they found Judai gripping onto the branch of a tree directly below Takeru's room. "You think he knew that was there?" Takeru asked, Kaname simply shaking his head, seeing Judai release his grip on the branch, and walk back to his own dorm as though nothing had happened. "Like I said, a daredevil, but there's something in him that makes me think he'd be strong enough to defeat the Reaper if he was given the chance," he said, Kaname simply walking out the door, stopping as he reached the doorway.

"Judai-kun has his reasons for being reckless," he said. "Whether that's who he always has been, or if it had to do with something in his past will always be up for debate, other than that, it wouldn't be worth it to go snooping around in his private affairs," he finished, walking out the door, leaving Takeru alone with his millions of thoughts.

* * *

"You can't be serious about this, Natsu-kun!" Koichi shouted, running after Natsu, just missing him before he locked the door to his room. "You know that a battle challenge like that is nothing more than a trap!" he shouted, banging on his door. "Somebody just casually challenges Reaper to a battle outside the school building; it's just like what happened last week! You can't expect them to do this without some prior knowledge do you?"

"The fact that I've appeared in front of this school is nothing more than common knowledge," a deeper voice from within the room said, sliding the door open, completely covered in a black cloak. "I don't battle just anybody; they called me to that spot specifically for more than one reason," he explained, beginning to walk down the stairs. "They knew both clues I had put in that battling profile online to call me to a spot that could be easily found; first, they had to know how to contact me, and by not using a method that could be tracked, they prove themselves able to fool me. Second, they knew of my whereabouts in Unova," he said, reaching one of his hands out, straining a glove onto his hand before it retreated back into the cloak.

"And how would they know that?" Koichi asked, already used to the visage of Reaper.

"Aside from a few instances where I have not been in the area of Nimbasa, I have, instead been in training, which never lasts for more than a week," Reaper explained. "I have lived in this area for four years, after an initial training period with Lampent, spanning no more than three. To see who would be smart enough to find me in this area, I set up a small puzzle on my whereabouts over the past four years, supposedly," he continued to explain, a picture beginning to form in both peoples' heads. "A series of crisscrossing lines was placed on a map showing my movements, which appear to be impossible as the lines never enter the same area twice. As they intersect into a large pattern resembling a pointed figure of the sun, in the center, but only when the map is zoomed outward, the pattern becomes apparent and shows a blank spot over Nimbasa."

"So anybody smart enough to figure this out, and not show any way of contact them back is your definition of being smart?" Koichi asked. "What if these people are out to hurt you for taking out their friend last week?"

"That man was no more than a person I had battled thirty two times; he made the same claims, used the same pokémon, and even made the same attempt to remove my cape," Reaper explained. "If he had any friends, they would have come to help him by now. All he has now is an unfinished dream, and a Houndoom loyal enough to stick with him."

"You make him sound like a decent guy," Koichi said, Reaper looking back at him before making a quick dash for the door. "Just promise me one thing," Koichi started as Reaper looked back. "Be careful, okay? Natsu-kun's my only student, I still need him."

"You have my word, this body will not be harmed," Reaper said, disappearing in a flash into the night air through the open door. "It is not my intention to bring harm to myself…" he finished in a voice only heard as the wind entered through the opening of the door, Koichi still unsure of whether he could trust his words.

* * *

With the streets only lit by the lamps lining the two sides, both Kaname and Judai stood alone, the older of the two standing in the center of the street, and the younger sitting on the brick wall leading to the steel gate. Both looked down the street, waiting for at least somebody to show up, but as time moved faster, and the two hands on the clock tower slowly becoming a single line towards the twelve o clock mark. With each passing second, both Kaname and Judai began to notice things about whatever it was that Takeru had planned out not aligning with what they originally thought, the clock having only five more minutes before midnight.

"So where do ya think Takeru-senpai's hidin'?" Judai asked, staring up at the night sky, lying down on the brick wall. "He did say he was comin', right?"

"You probably should've figured that out _before_ you jumped out the window," Kaname said, leaning against the wall below him. "He never said, though. If I had to guess, I'd say he called us out here by ourselves so as to not to tamper with his own research," he said, Judai looking down at him with a confused look. "Essentially, everybody in this school has their own field of study, and it's all fairly scientific; in this case, Takeru-kun is somewhat of an anthropologist, studying the behavioral patterns of certain people. But the only effective way to do that is to keep as much of a distance from the subject your study as possible, never having any direct contact."

"Ya think that's gonna turn out good for us?" Judai asked, jumping down from the wall, landing several feet in front of Kaname. "If Takeru-senpai is all about finding out how Reaper really acts, he may have some traps set up for the three of us along the way. And like he said, Reaper is on a whole other level that we could never get to, just by going to this school every day."

"While you have a point in that area, there is a flaw in your logic," Kaname said, pushing himself off of the wall. "Keep in mind that Reaper only surfaced about four years ago, which means he's still fairly inexperienced in certain forms of battle. Also, all of us here have had at least a couple years of trainer's leave under our belts, so it's not like we're going to be helpless against him," he explained, hearing the sudden chime of the clock tower, indicating midnight was upon them.

"So you believe a mere two years would be all that is necessary to defeat me?" a voice said from down the road, seemingly just appearing out of thin air, having no venue up or down it. "If you truly are this arrogant about my power, allow me to show you what the Reaper is capable of," the cloaked figure said, both of the trainers turning at the sound of his voice, surprised he actually showed up.

"Figured you wouldn't come to the same place twice," Kaname said, motioning to his shoulder, his Sableye quickly jumping from it as Reaper flicked his cloak through the air, Lampent quickly appearing behind it. "But, this'll be a good opportunity to see which of us is really the better battler," he said, his Sableye giving off a wild cackle as Lampent stayed motionless. "Garne, we'll finish this fast," he said calmly, the Sableye motioning for Lampent with a single finger.

"Don't fall for it," Reaper said suddenly, Sableye freezing in position, its smile slowly dimming. "Using Taunt would only force into using your physical power, and we both know that if one uses too much of their own power, they slowly become a slave to it," he explained to his Lampent, simply turning its body away from Garne.

"Ooh, I think you just got owned," Judai said, Kaname obviously not as amused, but still able to keep his composure. "Why not let me and Monferno in on some of the action?" he suggested, the fire and fighting type jumping from his own shoulder and in front of Lampent. "Let's have a little test, Flame Wheel!" he shouted, Monferno letting out a wild screech as it tumbled through the air, a stream of fire appearing around it's body.

Diving directly towards the ghost and fire type, Monferno tackled it head-on, continuing to rotate faster and faster against the top of its head, Reaper, nor Lampent making any movement, Judai giving off a smirk as he recalled Monferno back with a single wave of his hand. Monferno jumped back in front of Judai, both it and Garne staring down the Lampent who had yet to take any damage, but was beginning to glow a bright red color that quickly dissipated into its body.

"Too bad for you, my Lampent is among the elite in terms of its power," Reaper explained, Lampent's body beginning to glow red again, but in a darker hue than before. "And thanks to your little 'experiment,' the power of Flash Fire has turned him into the perfect weapon against pokémon such as Monferno. But don't just take my word for it; Lampent, Heat Wave!" he shouted, the ghost type mercilessly releasing a constant stream of heated air towards both pokémon.

As the attack continued, no effort exuded from Lampent, even Monferno was left struggling to fight back the fire power that it had given to its opponent. Kaname looked down at his Sableye, Garne, and nodded slightly, the little ghoul giving off another mischievous smile, reaching its hand out towards Monferno, its movements slow within the attack. Seeing Garne move closer to Monferno, Judai turned to Kaname, both of them fighting back against the Heat Wave themselves, the latter merely giving a small nod to him.

"Garne, Foul Play!" he shouted, the Sableye gripping onto Monferno's back, a dark aura beginning to form around the both of them, only becoming greater around Garne as the smile on its face began to grow wider, as though it was protecting him from the attack. "Attack!" Kaname shouted, Garne quickly jumping out of the attack, Monferno falling down to its knees, quickly being returned to a pokéball from Judai.

"This had better work," Judai said. "I'm getting tired of becomin' the fodder in these battles," he said, referencing the battle from yesterday.

"Give Monferno my thanks," Kaname said with a smile, Sableye disappearing into the shaded areas around the gate. "His sacrifice will help to win this battle," he explained, Sableye quickly coming out of the darkness, the aura still surrounding it, slashing across the top of Lampent's body, knocking it off balance only slightly.

Disappearing back into the darkness, Sableye cackled again, quickly jumping out from its hiding place again to slash at Lampent's body several times over, until the aura around it was all but extinguished. Seeing the battered, slashed, and weak willed body of Lampent, Garne folded its arms triumphantly, but began to hear a hollow chuckling sound from where Lampent floated. Reaper made no reaction, Kaname's eyes widening out of shock at the sight of Lampent's body already preparing another attack of Heat Wave.

"How?" Kaname questioned, seeing the ghost type filled with new power, as though what it had taken from Garne only proceeded to strengthen its own strength. "The power from Monferno and Foul Play should have been more than enough to defeat a Lampent."

"Had it been any other Lampent, maybe," Reaper replied, holding out a gloved hand towards the ground. "Have you ever heard of the underworld?" he asked, both Kaname and Judai looking at each other with a strange look. "Every culture has talked about it at some point in their development, but all have a single idea of it; a place of eternal torture for the people who have fallen the furthest from the grace of the deities they worship. In each rendition of the underworld, there are several figures that all people can remember, the king of demons, the minions he controls, and the one you battle right now, the Reaper!" he declared, but not pointing towards himself, but to Lampent.

"Lampent?" Judai questioned. "That's the Reaper?"

"The Grim Reaper is a figure of myth that visits people at the time of their death, ending their suffering, and guiding them to the afterlife, wherever that may end up being; the place of comfort or of torment," he explained. "The true Reaper is the pokémon known as Lampent, making it more deserving of the title than myself. But because of the difference in our rank, there is another name I choose to call him by, a name of the one who rules the world that people have feared since the beginning."

"And what name is that?" Kaname asked, motioning for Sableye to move back into the shadows.

"…Hades…," Reaper answered, jumping upward towards the brick wall, snapping his fingers. "Heat Wave!" he shouted, Lampent unable to find where Garne had gone, instead spinning all directions, the heated air blasting through to all of the corners of the shaded areas, eventually finding a small spot where the molecules began separating around a single area, bringing Lampent's focus on the single point.

Moving in closer to the point it had found, Lampent began to use more of its own power where it had Garne was hiding, the small ghost and dark type struggling to even stand against the attack. At the sight of his pokémon being constantly battered by the same attack, Kaname bit his lip, pulling his pokéball out, pointing it directly towards Garne, about to return it, but was blocked in his path by the shaded figure holding one flap of his cloak open.

"You've won! What more do you want!?" Kaname asked, seeing the attack cease, Sableye fully visible, but burned beyond what should have been possible, but still willing to stand up. "Garne, there's nothing more for you to do!" he shouted, Sableye shaking its head, a light appearing around it, beginning to heal its injuries. "Recover, huh?" he asked, a small chuckle passing by his lips. "I take it you want to keep battling, huh?"

"Underground battling is not a style of battling meant for those weaker in heart than their pokémon," Reaper said. "This is a rule of this world I had to learn very quickly, Lampent willing to go beyond what was possible, despite my best efforts to keep it from doing anything stupid," he explained. "People believe that the battling done in unsanctioned areas of the world is based on the trainer's willpower, and their cruelty for not letting their pokémon giving up, but what they don't know is that the true battle is between the pokémon, and their own will. The battle's underground don't stop until the pokémon itself is willing to give in. Garne doesn't seem to be the type to give up, is he? You obviously have distilled you own values into your pokémon, and I applaud you for it."

Kaname smiled, Garne jumping against Lampent, holding out its claws, another shadowy aura appearing around it, contact made with Lampent, the latter having its power sucked out. Lampent, instead of struggling against it, allowed Sableye to take its power, Reaper suddenly disappearing from in front of the two, and back to where he started from. After Sableye jumped away from Lampent, its aura even taller than when it had tried to attack with Monferno's power, making a quick dash upwards towards its elemental counterpart.

"Power is not something for those inexperienced with it," Reaper said, Sableye beginning to pick up speed as it tried slashing at Lampent, finding the output of power greater than expected, the attack being too wide to actually be controlled, forcing the smaller of the two pokémon to flip over from the power exerted. "And instead becomes the opponent's weapon," he continued, motioning for Lampent, the ghost type releasing a Shadow Ball attack.

As Sableye tried to continue to fight against Lampent with a power it couldn't even begin to control, Kaname continued to watch, unable to stop his pokémon from fighting, and only succeeded in thinking on Reaper's words. Letting out a small chuckle, Kaname snapped his fingers, Sableye looking back. Kaname said nothing, and as Garne looked back at him, seeing nothing but its trainer's smile, it returned the favor, resisting the power covering its body.

"You've said it yourself," Kaname said, Judai looking up. "That fighting power is not the way to using an attack, and that letting the power control you is the best venue for battling, right?" he asked, Reaper simply nodding, Judai suddenly remembering back to the battle yesterday and the monologue that Natsu had used. "That the power, if not used as your ally, will become your great destroyer," he continued, Judai backing off to the sides, unbeknownst to the other two battling. "But what if resisting the strength is actually better than giving yourself to it?" he asked, the strength of Sableye's attack beginning to well up inside of it. "Condensing, compress, and compacting the power until it becomes something that can't be controlled, even by you."

As Sableye continued to let the power of its Foul Play attack surge through it, Reaper simply looked up at Lampent who tipped itself downward before floating towards Sableye, positioning itself directly in front of it. With a single motion to be the first to attack from Reaper, Kaname gave the order to attack, Sableye launching itself from where it stood, one of its claws stretched outward.

"It's true that power that's concentrated can sometimes be more powerful," Reaper started, Lampent lifting its head, spitting out no more than a single burst of fire. "But if a pokémon cannot control the power for long," he continued, the Flame Burst attack hitting the front of Garne's claw, exploding directly after, forcing the ghost and dark type back against the ground below Lampent. "It's useless in the end," he finished, beginning to walk away with Lampent in tow, both students suddenly hearing a crashing sound from the gate.

"So you've come back to torment us, Reaper?" a teacher asked, about to open the gates. "And you two," he began, looking at the two students. "You know the policy our school has on underground battling. You'll be lucky not to get expelled for this!"

"Expelled for trying to keep me out?" Reaper asked, Judai and Kaname quickly turning around at the notion. "Do you really believe two students such as this would seek me out? They noticed me, and challenged me to a battle to keep me out of the school. If anything, even a rogue like me believes that is worth honoring. But I'm sure that after their expulsion a woman like that Saruwatari would love to know the reasoning behind it," he said, the teacher grunting out of anger as he led the other two students in, watching Reaper disappear within a gust of wind.

* * *

Off in the main building of the school, sitting directly behind the face of the clock, Takeru let off a smirk as he took a pencil from between his fingers, quickly writing down on last note about his subject, placing the notepad in front of him, and reading over everything he had written.

"_Subject Name: Reaper, Age: Unknown, Gender: Male,"_ he repeated to himself. _"Reaper seems to be a very confident person; he knows how to get under people's skin, and he knows the psychology behind battling as though he were the pokémon itself. Why the name Hades, though? It's as if that nickname was meant for more than just identifying his Lampent. And if that were it, why not give a name to his Golett. Kaname, though, may prove to be more interesting, he cares a lot about Garne, but at the same time, hates to see him quit from a battle. Both show an eagerness to win beyond what most would consider natural. A shame that Judai couldn't have more action, but with his pokémon unable to do any damage, there would be no point in battling an opponent you can't beat. That bit at the end, though, makes me glad I tipped off that teacher; force Reaper to show off his true colors. Final analysis of subject: a man who is feared by almost everyone, fears nothing, but is willing to show off the greatest sense of honor that has become so scarce in our world. Reaper needs more research, but in time, there will be nothing about him that I won't know," _he finished, standing up, and walking away from the bell tower, Mothim fluttering behind him, quickly hitting one of the bells, and falling almost directly after to the ground. _"Item number two to figure out,"_ he said to himself as he wrote it out in the notebook. _"Teach Mothim to fly straight."_

* * *

Waiting for Natsu's return, Koichi was left twirling his thumbs around the other, positioning his chair in front of the door, waiting for him to walk in. Hearing the door open, Koichi stood up, and put the chair back in the main lobby, but not expecting to see who was now standing at the door.

"Ryuzaki…," Koichi identified, Judai standing at the door, a serious, intent look on his face.

"We need to talk about our new little friend," he said, Koichi taking in a large gulp as he was afraid of what Judai was really talking about. "And we need to do it now…"

* * *

Character Appearances:

Natsu Kohashigawa: Lampent & Golett. NightFall00

Judai Ryuzaki: Monferno & Torkoal. Jexo

Mika Saito: Ledian, other pokémon TBA. Cyanide the Sneasel

Maaya Yoshida: Hitmonchan & Hitmonlee. emmeusgirl94

Amira Khumalo: Kirlia & Duosion. FlyPandaBear

Takeru Sanjero: Mothim, other pokémon TBA. Moth's Aflame

June Kurosaki: Lairon, other pokémon TBA. Lady Island Rose

Kaname Misaki: Sableye, other pokémon TBA. Ariesbird

* * *

Notes:

Takeru's Reference to Kaname: You find in this chapter that there is a time where Takeru refers to Kaname as "president," obviously seen as "class president," but is this really ethical. Well, in reality, it is. Calling somebody by a title in Japan is no different than calling somebody by an honorific. Simply referring to one as "sensei," "kaichou/president," "iinchou/chairman," etc. are actually more common they aren't.

A Mistake I've Been Making: Something that I've been doing for the past three chapters, counting this one, is refer to the students themselves as one would in the United States (Sophomore/10th grader, Junior/11th grader, and Senior/12th grader). Well, this isn't how they would do things in Japan. First off, in Japan, unlike most of the US, there are only three grades for any school past sixth grade so it's seventh, eighth, and ninth for middle school, and tenth, eleventh, and twelfth in high school. Really you simply call these people by the year in which they are in the school, so a first year student (ichinensei) would be a junior high seventh grader, or a high school tenth grader; a second year student (ninensei) would be a junior high eighth grader, or a high school eleventh grader; and a third year student (sannensei) would be a junior high ninth grader, or a high school twelfth grader. So for my impudence, I apologize.

* * *

Chapter three complete. Sorry this one wasn't as fast as the other two chapters, but like I said, I have school, and I was also working on my other stories, so that was fun to finally get those two updated. With this chapter I've included three new characters, June, Mika, and Takeru, and in the next chapter, I'll get the rest of the main characters introduced, and then I can really have some fun with this thing. Hopefully, the characters are to your liking, and I hope I'm getting everybody right, so please tell em how I'm doing because if you don't, I won't know if you're like some people who think I should condense my work, or if you're like others who think this is perfect. Until we meet again, ja nee.


	5. The Truth in Promising

Hey reader; NightFall here with the next chapter of HDD, and I'm starting to think that this is starting to become one of my better stories based on certain reviews, both positive, and slightly negative. For those of you that don't read the reviews, there is a user who believes that I do need to work more on this story, and before you start trying to run him out of town, I consider him one of my most loyal fans, having gone through several of my phases where I was writing new story after new story, and is determined to see a specific story to the end, so I respect everything he has to say. In reality, though, he has said his only problem is with how wimpy Natsu feels, which I find kinda funny, because some of you have even said you could relate to him, and this guy says that it's one of the things about the story he doesn't like. Again, don't go after him, because I do respect him as an author, and a critic, and I think it's important that everybody give their opinions honestly. I salute this reader, and hope he continues to support me. You've heard enough, let's get started.

* * *

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN POKÉMON, BECAUSE IF I DID, GHOSTS AND DRAGONS WOULD NOT BE WEAK TO THEMSELVES.**

Chapter 4: The Truth in Promising

Sometimes we may take them for granted when we think about them only in retrospect, looking at them as nothing more than something we did when we were stupid, and just wanted to say it to act cool. Other people, though, they look at a promise as small as paying somebody back for a small amount of money as something they can't clear their conscience of it until they actually fill their end of it. Some people consider this to be no more than these people seeking self-satisfaction, and then there are others who look at that as true honor between two people. But what about what people in the middle think? Very rarely is anybody every off to one side completely, and normally is in the middle when it comes to any form of opinionated conversation. So the question that people should really be asking over the course of looking at people who do whatever it takes to fulfill the promises they make is whether or not those people are the ones who are crazy, and if maybe there is more to be learned from them than simply what they see with their eyes.

* * *

The inside of Natsu's class was probably the more quiet it had ever been since his coming, granted the amount of tension coming from both Natsu and Judai, the latter simply looking straight ahead, his arms folded across his chest, and his eyes closed. Natsu let out a small sigh as he noticed how Judai was acting, not bothering to try and talk to him, even looking up at Monferno, who seemed to be in the same tense state of mind. As the bell sounded out throughout the room, Natsu let out another sigh, but this time out of relief, reaching for his things, and about to bolt for the door, had Judai not reached out from behind, catching him by the collar, and holding him in place, even with Natsu still trying to run towards the door.

"Don't think I'm not done with ya, yet, bro," Judai said, standing up, dragging Natsu along the floor, Monferno and Lampent both following after them. "Ya spring somethin' like that on me, and ya think I'm not expectin' a little compensation? Oh, my little friend, how wrong ya would be about that," he said.

"Compensation?" Natsu asked, Judai letting off a wide smile. "You were serious about that, last night?"

"What'd ya expect? Me to just let ya waltz off with that kind of a secret hangin' over my head without ya givin' me a little bit of satisfaction along the way?" he asked, leaning over to face Natsu directly in front of him. "Oh, and trust me, this is gonna be very satisfin'. Just be sure to tell me everythin' that happens, and your little secret stays in my head forever."

"B-But, what you asked me to do is a little…," Natsu started, looking away with blush covering his face. "Y-You said you weren't going to do anything that would make me feel uncomfortable, and telling me to do that is just out of my realm of possibility."

"Did ya really expect me to stay true to that?" Judai said, cleaning the inside of his ear with his pinky finger. "Trust me when I say this, the best way to get what ya really want out of someone is to just put 'em at ease, and then give the fatal attack when they least expect it," he said, smashing his fist against his palm, Natsu's head sinking down past his shoulders at the sudden sound. "Truth be told, though, I could be askin' for a whole heck of a lot more from ya, bro. Learnin' that ya are who ya are gives me a whole arsenal of different tactics to get your love life movin' faster than a herd of Miltank rollin' down a mountain. How ya were able to keep it secret for that long is beyond me."

"Nobody's ever been around me long enough to put all the pieces together," Natsu said, both of them walking out of the school building, and towards Natsu's dorm. "I never wanted to battle the same person more than once, and I just kept making myself more and more scarce to keep all the crazies away. I never intended to become this infamous battler of the underground."

"And yet, here ya are," Judai said, a large grin across his face as Natsu hung his head limp in front of him. "'Sides, all I'm askin' from ya is to just go to her dorm. I'm not askin' for any kind of explicit actions," he said, Natsu letting out a sigh of relief. "Nah, that's in two months when we're on summer vacation," he said, holding up a notepad, and quickly scribbling a series of notes, Natsu's face erupting into a red color, the usual steam trail rising from his head. "Oh, trust me, my little friend, ya are gonna have one of the best love lives ever, courtesy of yours truly."

"_To think this all happened because I had a little slip of the tongue from my little Dynamic Punch monologue,"_ Natsu said to himself, Lampent appearing next to his shoulder. _"And there's the fact that in terms of pokémon there isn't a whole lot of speculation that needs to be done to make a certain conclusion. With only nine different ghost type pokémon in Unova alone, there are a total of seventy two combinations, just by taking the individual pokémon, and then there are twelve others if one doesn't count the combinations where a pokémon is of the same evolutionary line as another. But still, my pokémon combination is still one, out of seventy two, and the exact same as Reaper's. I'm only glad nobody else has made the connection yet."_

Reaching the Oriental style building, Natsu was the first to walk into the empty hotel, Koichi still having his duties as a teacher until later in the evening, Golett standing in the lobby, already noticing Judai walking behind him. Assuming a fighting stance, Golett looked as though it were about to punch through to Judai, Lampent quickly floating in front of it, giving it an expectant look as the ghost type slowly walked up the stairs to Natsu's room.

"I have to say, coming here every day makes me think I should just stay over every weekend, or somethin' like that," Judai said, Natsu still not having gotten over the fact he was found out. "Either that, or we could always call Amira-senpai over here," he said with a large smirk, Natsu falling over the entryway on his own shoes. "Oh, this is gonna be great. And to think, I was 'bout ready to kill ya last night," he said, Natsu already remembering what had happened the night before, after his battle with Kaname.

* * *

Walking back into the dorm, the cloak he wore as Reaper, draped over his body, but still exposing his face, Natsu reached for the door, and slid it open, seeing more people than he was expecting to find upon entering. Quickly trying to hide the cloak behind him, his eyes were met by Judai's eyes, which were as tense as possible.

"There's no point in tryin' to hide what I can already see," Judai said, Natsu's eyes terrified by what he was saying. "So it was more than a coincidence that ya have the same pokémon as Reaper, huh?" he asked, Lampent still floating behind him, not showing any signs of moving away. "Somehow, the whole Reaper thing has lost all of its power since it turned out to be little you underneath that rag."

"Y-You don't understand…," Natsu started, quickly being picked up by the collar of his shirt by Judai a good couple inches.

"What am I not supposed to be understandin'?" Judai asked. "How ya decided it would be better to lie to somebody who was proud to call himself your friend? How it was better to trick the one person willin' to defend you when Maaya-senpai was ready to kick your sorry behind out of here? Who's been willin' to help you get used to this place when nobody seems to give you any kind of breathin' room? Or maybe I'm not supposed to be understandin' how it was best in your mind to see me as nothin' but a hopeless kid who could never understand how your mind works?"

"NO!" Natsu shouted at the top of his lungs, his cloak falling down to the ground below him, Judai dropping him to the ground, the bundles up cloth cushioning him as he hit the floor. "I could never see you in that way, Judai-san," he said, his hands holding him up as he faced the ground below him. "I could never tell you who I am when I battle because…because…," he continued to try and say, Judai about to reach back down.

"Because Natsu-kun has a fear of being judged," Koichi said from behind, Judai turning to him. "Social phobia can manifest itself in different ways, and for Natsu, his biggest fear while he's around other people is of being judged by others. They make assumptions about him before getting to see what he is actually capable of, making it appear to himself that he has no actual power, and therefore has to hide himself from them to be offered the chance."

"Even if that's the case, would wearin' somethin' like that cloak help?" Judai asked, Natsu looking down at the sea of cloth beneath him. "The words people use to judge him aren't muffled by the material, and they don't seem to hurt him any less than they do when he's battlin'. Explain that, sensei," he said, Koichi unable to answer.

"I-I'm not…," Natsu started, gripping onto the folds of cloth below him. "I'm not afraid of words," he said, a small, solemn smile appearing on his face. "Words have been hurting me for too long for me to be afraid of them; I know how to process them too well," he said with a small smirk. "I'm afraid of something a bit more ever present than a person talking to me; their eyes," he said, Koichi's eyes focusing on Judai as the sophomore was still looking down at his classmate.

"Maybe it makes more sense that way," Koichi said, Judai turning him before he could get back down to Natsu. "Even you should've known that Natsu-kun never faints from what a person says, with the exception of Saruwatari-sensei telling him about the battle, but instead has more of a problem when a person is looking directly at them. I guess the best way to get you to understand is when Saito-san looked directly into his eyes," he said, Judai easily being able to see how Mika was forcing her gaze onto Natsu. "It took him no time at all to pretty much catatonic."

"I find it hard to believe that anybody could be afraid of nothin' more than a person's eyes," he said, grabbing Natsu by the back of his collar, staring directly into his eyes, Natsu unable to look at him in the same way. "Ya really are afraid of the looks people give ya, huh?" he asked, Natsu making a single nod. "I guess that hittin' ya while you're down won't bring me any satisfaction, will it?" he asked, Koichi shaking his head, Natsu being placed back on the ground.

"I'm really sorry, Judai-san!" Natsu said loudly, his nose pretty much touching the ground, his hands barely able to keep him up. "I really didn't want to keep a secret from you."

"Hey, Natsu-kun," Judai started, Natsu barely able to bring up his head. "Remember when I first found out ya had a Golett?" he asked, Natsu hesitating before he nodded. "I told ya it'd be cool if ya turned out be the Reaper, and lo and behold, here is the infamous Reaper, a person just like the rest of us, haunted by his past, and a secret to keep from others. I guess this just means that when I think of Reaper, I'll have to think that he's just a bit more human than everyone thinks."

"D-Does that mean you'll keep my secret?" Natsu asked, Judai just giving a small chuckle as he folded his arms. "Thank you, Judai-san!" he said, bringing his head back down to pay respect.

"Yeah, I'm gonna keep it to myself, but there're a few things I think need sorted out," Judai said, Natsu freezing in position. "First off, I want ya to drop off the '-san,' and just call me by my name. I don't mind being called without the honorific, and from now, I'll just call ya 'bro,' how 'bout it?" he asked, Natsu nodding in agreement. "Second," he began, both Koichi and Natsu looking at him surprised that he had a list prepared. "I am gonna expect ya do somethin'' in return for keepin' somethin' like this from me, and I already have a few things planned out."

"Like what?" Natsu asked, slightly nervous by the possible outcomes.

"First and foremost, I'm gonna have ya and Amira-senpai get into a relationship by the end of the year, and I know that you'd be more than willin' to help me get this all started, right?" he asked, Natsu unable to say no, but still shocked by the sudden declaration, Judai smiling victoriously. "So, to start, we're gonna have ya spend some alone time with her tomorrow. But then again, I got other things planned that I could have ya do as collateral for keepin' this from me. But Amira-senpai is at the top of my list. Seriously, ya move about as fast as a block of ice on a sheet of sandpaper."

"Please tell me you're kidding, Ryuzaki," Koichi said. "You can already tell that Natsu-kun is terrified of girls, looking at him or otherwise. You may be moving things too fast for him."

"Well ain't that just the kettle callin' the pot black," Judai noted, Koichi having a small twitch in his eye out of annoyance. "You've been tryin' to get Natsu roped up in your little scheme to get this dorm popular again, and me helpin' him get a girlfriend is too much for him? Besides, unlike you, I'd be willin' to scrap the idea at any time. We're gonna have some fun this year, bro," he said, Natsu already nervous about the next few days that would come with Judai's plan about to become all too real.

* * *

Back in the present time, Natsu was still seated on the couch, Judai staring across at him, a half smile on his face, his teeth showing as a chuckle slipped through them. Natsu let out a sigh, laying down on the couch, his face placed up against the arm rest.

"So, when should I set up your date with Amira-senpai, bro?" Judai asked, pulling out a cell phone, Natsu looking at him with a dead tired look, showing his was no longer interested. "Ya know, this is a whole heck of a lot more fun when ya actually respond to some of this, bro," he explained, Natsu still not caring, and just stared forward at the door, his eyes beginning to drift off to sleep. "Man, when I was told ya weren't gonna respond to this well, I thought it was because ya were sick, and I'm starting to think I was right."

"I don't get sick," Natsu said, the only thing he was apparently confident about. "It was the only thing my parents seemed to like about me more than my sister. They had to shell out a lot of money for her antibiotics when she had pneumonia."

"Oh, ya have a sis, huh?" Judai noticed. "Older or younger?" he asked, holding his hand up to be higher or lower than him, Natsu pointing at the higher height, indicating she was older. "Obviously from the way ya were talkin', though, I take it there's a bit of bad blood between you and your family?" he asked, Natsu nodding. "Have to do with ya-know-who?" he asked, Natsu shaking his head.

"While my immune system is stronger than most, my family doesn't value that as much as they like a strong body," he explained. "My father was a man who had grown accustomed to a certain way of living; men do the hard work, and women do the housework. But after he found the way I looked by the time I was nine, he had given up hope of me ever looking like him, and tried to toughen me up by getting me a pokémon. He wasn't too thrilled with my choice," he said, motioning towards Lampent. "He sent me away after that, and after a while, Reaper came into existence."

"Wow, ya know that that's the most words you've ever said in a single go, bro," he complimented, Natsu looking slightly embarrassed at the praise he got. "I take it ya aren't used to being looked at in a positive way. Aside from the obvious reasons, of course," he said, Natsu already knowing that he was referencing the attention he got from the girls in the class. "Well, I guess I better get goin', and don't worry, I'll see to it you and Amira-senpai have your alone time. See ya 'round, bro," he said, leaving the dorm, Natsu burying his face into one of the cushions on the sofa.

* * *

Sliding the door to the dorm closed, Judai released Monferno from his pokéball, and began walking back to his own dorm, his pokémon resting on his shoulder, both with a mischievous look on their faces. As they walked down the path, back through the main school grounds, Judai suddenly stopped in the center of the courtyard, turning to one of the tables near the outside of the school building, spying somebody quickly flipping a card over, a bored look on his face, a medium sized pokémon at his feet curled up into a small ball.

"Another slow day, Matsushita-senpai?" Judai asked, the boy flipping over the next card in the deck, chuckling at the sight of the joker card.

"How appropriate for this conversation," the boy said, his head tilting to the right, placing the joker card on the table in front of Judai, a small vein popping in the younger student's forehead. "And if by 'slow day,' you mean that, yet again, I was turned down by another girl from the flying dorm, just shut up," he said, packing all of the cards into a small box, and placing it in his pocket. "Besides, I told you to call me Jiro; I don't care about the title, just don't call me by my last name. Sounds too formal."

"Whatever ya say, Jiro-senpai," Judai said. "At any rate, I do have somethin' for ya to do, and if ya help me, I think I can help you with your problem of gettin' a date with a flying dorm girl," he said, Jiro not exactly looking too interested.

From the way he looked, Jiro was probably a bit small for his age, capping off at about five foot six, but with a basically regular build, putting him around one fifty for his weight range, with his legs being the longest part of his body, giving him a slightly lanky appearance. His hair was cut short in a black color, falling in all directions, as though he had just woken up, or not having taken the time to maintain it. His eyes, given lighting of the area, were hard to discern whether they were a black color, or brown, but both were tired in design, almost sedated in a way. For his wardrobe, he wore a dark green colored t-shirt, a pair of light tan cargo shorts kept up a by a dark brown belt, reaching down to less than half a foot under his knees, and a pair of worn black and white tennis shoes. At his feet, the medium pokémon continued to shift its position, its wide tail swinging back and forth; Bibarel.

"Depends on what the job is," Jiro said, stretching out his back behind him. "And if you're willing to pay a good price."

"Oh come on, Jiro-senpai, I know your weakness," Judai said, reaching into his bag, ominously gripping onto a small object, Jiro making a small gulping sound as Judai held out his fist. "Fetch," he said, flicking his thumb upward, a small, spherical object flying through the air, almost dragging Jiro with it, the junior dorm head, grabbing it, running his fingers over the thin plastic wrapping of the candy drop, his tongue sticking out in ecstasy, Judai having a triumphant look on his face.

"Fine, so you give me one lousy piece of candy," Jiro said, the small peppermint ball already in his mouth. "Doesn't mean I'm going to help you," he said, Judai giving him a flat look, opening his bag more fully, the sheen from all the plastic wrappers almost blinding Jiro, as the bottom of Judai's bag was already filled with the stuff. "I am at your disposal," Jiro said, bowing down at Judai's feet. "What is your bidding?"

"Too easy," Judai said, standing up. "I take it you're familiar with the new dorm head, Natsu Kohashigawa?" he asked, Jiro sitting back up in his seat, nodding in response. "Well, at the current moment, I'm plannin' for somethin' to do with him, to help him get better acquainted with a certain other dorm head, and I think that your help may be required to make things easier for me to get this done."

"So what do you want me to do?" Jiro asked, Judai motioning for him to come closer, silently whispering the details into his ear, a sudden shock being seen in Jiro's expression. "You gotta be kidding!" he shouted, about to turn away, Judai dangling a piece of candy in between his fingers in front of Judai. "When and where?" he asked quickly, Judai throwing the piece into the air, Jiro catching it in between his teeth, before unwrapping it.

"_Ah, if there was ever an easier person to bribe, even they would pale in comparison to Jiro Matsushita,"_ Judai said to himself. _"And with this, my plan for Amira-senpai and my new brother is in full swing. Prepare yourself, bro, for today marks the day that you will take your first step towards becoming a true man in the eyes of this world. I wish you luck," _he said, tears filling his eyes out of sheer honor for what he was expecting to come of this despite everybody able to see him completely.

* * *

Back in his dorm, Natsu was still on the couch, his breathing labored, and his face almost completely red along his cheeks, his face looking up at the ceiling with his eyes closed, a cold rag placed on top of his head. Feeling pressure being applied on his forehead, Natsu slowly began to open his eyes, looking up, seeing a pokémon lying on his chest, staring up at him, while giving off a cold breath towards the cold compress on his head. The cold feeling on his forehead was enough to lull him back to sleep, but not before looking up at the hand holding the rag down on top of his, leading up to a young girl looking down at him as he woke up.

"So, kid, you feeling better?" she asked, Natsu instantly blushing, and turning away without missing a beat. "Ah, geez, you really are helpless when it comes to girls, huh?" she asked, her hand still holding onto the compress even after his body had been turned. "This how you act all the time, or just when you're sick? Because if it's the latter, I'd be able to understand it slightly."

"What?" Natsu questioned. "But I don't get sick," he said, trying to sit up, the pokémon on top of him, Glaceon, pushing him down from his shoulders. "I never get sick…," he said, the girl sighing slightly as she kept the rag pressed to his forehead.

"Nobody has immunities to fatigue," she said, removing the compress, and placing it in a dish of water, filled with ice cubes, most likely from her pokémon. "You've obviously been overworked by something, and all those sleepless nights or whatever they were are beginning to catch up with you," she explained, Natsu averting his gaze towards Lampent who was floating at his head, a trusting look in his eyes. "My name's Mitsuta, by the way, Mitsuta Ichihana," she said, introducing herself. "My friends call me Mitsu, though, if you prefer."

"T-Thank you for helping me, Ichihana-san," Natsu said, Mitsu giving off a slightly disappointed look as she motioned for Glaceon to cool down the compress another time, the ice type blowing another cold breath towards the wet rag.

"You'll probably have to rest for a while after this, so I don't want you to go too far even after your fever breaks, okay?" she asked.

"S-Sure," Natsu said, looking towards Mitsu, still barely able to face her.

Mitsu was a lot like the other girls that Natsu had met, Mika being the only exception; fairly tall, standing at five foot eight, maybe with stronger muscle attachments from the lack of exertion she had to use to keep Natsu from moving around. Her hair was a similar color to both Asuka's and June's, a red color, maybe hers being a bit duller in shade, and tied in two twin braids reaching to her shoulder blades. Her eyes were a light brown color, and definitely gentle in expression as opposed to certain people that Natsu had met, on in particular. Her wardrobe, as opposed to other people's, was much more simplistic, merely a white t-shirt conforming to her figure, a pair of blue colored shorts ending just above the knee, and a pair of icy blue sneakers.

"So I take it you're still getting used to life here, huh, kid?" Mitsu asked, Natsu nodding to answer. "And I guess it's true that you get pretty nervous around girls," she said with a small chuckle as Natsu began blushing slightly out of embarrassment. "I wouldn't worry about it, a lot of girls may find that to be one of your better traits, and make you seem a bit cuter," she said, standing up from where she was kneeling down, grabbing a chair from the lobby, and pulling it up to the couch.

"W-Why are you trying to help me?" Natsu asked, surprising Mitsu slightly. "You came all the way out to the ghost dorm to take care of me, and now you're trying to console me about my problems. I can't help but ask why."

"Call it my maternal instincts," Mitsu said, wetting down the rag again before placing it back on his head. "In my opinion, there are two kinds of people who train ice type pokémon like I do," she said. "There are the cold trainers who isolate themselves from the world, and make it appear as though their hearts as frigid as their eyes. Then there are the people who are able to warm up any kind of cold in the hearts of anybody, and give off that guardian feeling. I like to look at myself as the older sister type, if you get my meaning. As for how I knew you were like this, I got a call from your friend, Judai-kun, and he told me to help out."

"Did he say anything about Amira-senpai?" Natsu asked, blushing slightly at the mention of her name, Mitsu looking slightly confused, but then letting off a sly grin.

"Ah-ha, so that's how it is," she said, moving her hand across his cheek. "The little kid here has a thing for Amira-chan, huh? Can't say any guy would blame you, but a lot of girls are gonna be sad to hear that, and may even go after your dearly beloved if they find out," she said, Natsu covering his eyes with his bangs.

"It's not that I like her, but Judai wants me to get into some kind of relationship with her," he said, blush beginning to take over the entirety of his face, Mitsu snickering as she moved her hand back to his forehead. "I just have a feeling that Judai is gonna use this to get her and me to get closer to each other."

"Good instinct," Mitsu said, turning her eyes towards the entrance of the hotel, already seeing somebody standing in the door. "This ain't gonna end well at all is it?" she question, seeing Jiro standing in the doorway, his Bibarel standing next to him with a similar stance, both with their arms folded across the other.

"Who's that?" Natsu asked, sitting up, and turning to face where Jiro stood.

"Head of the normal element dorm, Jiro Matsushita," Mitsu answered. "Trust me, his bark is a whole heck of a lot worse than his bite, although it would probably be best to get lost when he starts to bark," she warned, Natsu nodding in understanding.

"I'm not so much worried about the kid as much as what I've been hired for," Jiro said in retort, Mitsu giving him a sly look as he tried to back off to keep his own innocence. "And don't think you're gonna get me to say that Judai-kun put me up to this."

"_You just said it yourself,"_ Mitsu and Natsu said in unison to themselves as Jiro appeared to be completely oblivious to the fact. _"Is this guy some kind of idiot, or is he doing this on purpose?" _Natsu asked, Mitsu obviously not as confused by Jiro's demeanor as he was.

As Jiro walked into the building, he looked around, admiring the different decorations Koichi had placed, and then turns his attention back to Natsu who was still looking up at him, his eyes almost closed, his cheeks flush, and his breaths painfully visible. Clearing his throat while adjusting his collar around his neck, Jiro turned away from Natsu, slightly embarrassed to even look at him, confusing the latter as to what was happening, Mitsu still giving off the same sly smile. As opposed to his trainer, Bibarel simply jumped onto the seat cushion next to Natsu, staring at him in the face, inching closer as Natsu tried to back away, averting his eyes away, the normal and water mix, jumping back off, returning to his trainer's side.

"Hey, Jiro-kun," Mitsu started, Jiro turning towards his classmate, Bibarel turning in the same direction. "Exactly what is it Judai-kun wanted you to do? Obviously has something to do with the kid here, so spill," she said, Jiro turning away to show off some integrity.

"Like I'd tell you that easily," he said, Mitsu reaching into her pocket, and pulling out a small chocolate bar, pushing it towards his direction. "He wants me to have this act out as a means to get Natsu-kun and Amira-san closer together by having me attack him, and her defend him," he said, Natsu's eyes widening out of shock at how easily Mitsu was able to extract information out of him. "But that's all I'm going to be saying," he said, Mitsu breaking off a piece, throwing it towards him as he caught it in his mouth like pet. "He's going to start this off by talking to Amira-san after I give a signal with this flare," he said, reaching into his bag, and throwing a small bottle rocket across the floor.

"Always nice when the mole is so obedient," Mitsu said, turning to Natsu who was still surprised by the fact Jiro was incredibly weak to a single thing. "So, I don't think you'll be needing this anymore," she said, snapping the bottle in two in between her hands, the sound echoing through the room, sending a shudder down the spine of anyone who felt it. "So from, the fact that you didn't just come in here having Bibarel attack in a blind fury, you really have no interest in battling Natsu-kun?"

"Trust me when I say this, stalemate matches are never any fun," Jiro said, sitting down across from where Natsu was. "Normal and ghost are a lot like fighting and bug in this case; both have the same effect on each other, but with the first two, it's the epitome of irony; they're both immune to each other, so they're both useless against each other. I think that's why Judai-kun told me to do this," he said, cocking his head to the right as he stared at Natsu. "It was so he knew that any battle between the two of us would be slow and ineffective for when Amira-san came by, and show off her power to Natsu-kun."

"Sounds like Judai-kun really wants you to hook up with Amira-san, huh, kid?" Mitsu asked, ruffling up Natsu's hair, the temperature on his head still not exactly going down, his eyes half asleep. "Still not feeling too great, huh?" she asked, Natsu simply shaking his head, standing up, and wobbling up towards his room, turning back to Jiro before reaching the stairs.

"T-Thank you," he said making a small bow; looking back up at Jiro as he raised his head. "Thank you for not actually battling me," he said, his eyes still half asleep, and red coloring his face along his cheeks, the look in his eye sending a twinge throughout Jiro's chest as Natsu slowly disappeared into his room, Lampent following after him.

After he closed the door to his room, Jiro heaved out a huge sigh of relief, his face becoming less flush from seeing Natsu the way he was. Looking around, he found that, true to what people had been saying about the ghost dorm, it was empty, save for himself, Bibarel, and Mitsu with her one pokémon, walking towards the entrance to the dorm to drain the water for the dish she was using earlier. Thinking back to the way Natsu looked, Jiro was able to keep a more composed look about his face, but still couldn't help but bring to his mouth.

"Dang, if he was in the flying dorm, I would not hesitate to jump on that…also would help if he was a girl," Jiro said, Mitsu walking by him, and sitting back down where Natsu originally was.

"Yeah, and how's that been working out for you so far?" she asked, Jiro turning away, defeated by her quick comment. "You know, Mika-chan from the flying dorm is pretty cute; you should try asking her out, she might actually go for you if you act like you normally do."

"Ah, I don't know," Jiro said, Bibarel crawling up onto the empty seat cushion next to him. "Mika-san's definitely out of my league, not saying I wouldn't go for her if the opportunity presented itself, but I think she has her heart set on another guy; you can see it in the way she acts around others when she's looking out the window."

"Yeah, I still say it was a mistake for the teacher to put her there," Mitsu said, Jiro nodding in agreement. "And you and I both know that she really only likes the sky, and I can't really think of any of the boys in the flying dorm that she would actually go for; she has higher standards than what you're thinking. She's not like you, and doesn't jump on anything that tickles her fancy without a second thought, either on the reaction or the amount the flowers cost."

"I thought it was classy," Jiro said. "But that kid is definitely something else up there, isn't he?" he asked, looking up towards Natsu's room. "I don't think any of us would have ever even considered coming to this old place if he weren't even in here. Wonder how that teacher who lives here would react to that?"

"I don't think he'd mind," Mitsu said, petting the top of her Glaceon's head. "But you have a point, Natsu-kun doesn't understand the kind of influence he's actually had on others. Maaya-chan was never this vocal, Amira-san's never actually tried to go anywhere except for school and her dorm, and now, look at us, holding a conversation in the most hated area of campus, all because of that kid. He does need to happy up, though; I think he's a bit too hard on himself. He only looks at his faults, rather than his strengths."

"No offense, but he has more faults than strengths, so it's not exactly something he can really focus on," Jiro noted, Mitsu granting him that much. "Besides, with the way he acts, I'm sure that there's more going on underneath that embarrassed look in his eye than we know. I think he's hiding something that we just aren't able to figure out yet."

"Well, whatever it is, if it's going to keep him from living a life where he doesn't have to be afraid of others anymore, then I would like to personally see to it that it's taken care of," Mitsu said. "Chances are though, whatever is putting Natsu-kun in this mood of his, he ain't gonna just give it up too lightly, and we'll have to find another way to get it out of him, otherwise, we'll lose all of our chances."

"I might be willing to help," Jiro said, Mitsu reaching into her bag. "Just so long as the price is right," he said, turning back around to see the rest of the chocolate bar dangling in front of his head. "Whatever you command, my liege," he said, bowing down to one knee, the ends of his mouth watering for the candy bar, Mitsu sneering out of victory down at him.

* * *

Natsu didn't wake up for several hours after entering his room, and by the time he had, it was already late, closer to nine in the evening to be exact. Sitting up in his futon, Natsu let out an easy breath, lifting his hand to the top of his forehead, slowly placing it down to his side, seeing that Lampent was still awake, Golett sitting in silent meditation, but asleep nonetheless. Letting another large sigh, Natsu rose to his feet stumbling slightly, looking over at the mirror on the side of his closet, looking at him, and the flushed out color of his skin.

"This is the first time I had been sick in almost ten years," he said, placing his hand against his cheeks, Lampent's reflection nodding in understanding. "But even then, this was the first time anybody had bothered to take care of me," he said, walking back into his room, going towards the door, his walking weak, but strong enough.

Walking back out into the main lobby of the dorm building, Natsu, followed by Lampent, walked towards the large coffee table in the center, a small plate of food, and a note stuck underneath it. Removing the plastic wrap from over the set of rice balls, Natsu picked up the note, and began reading it, his smile becoming more apparent, but still slightly embarrassed by it. Still reading it as he walked into the kitchen area, and placing the plate in front of him, Natsu placed the note down, and began eating, reading the note over and over again as he did.

"_Judai-kun told me something was wrong with you, so I wanted to come and make sure you were all right," _it read. _"When I got there, Mitsu-san and Jiro-san were sitting and talking and told me that you had gotten a fever so I decided to make these for you to help keep your strength up, make sure you get better so that Maaya-chan doesn't have the chance to beat you up. I hope I get to see you soon. ~Amira."_

The note was still on Natsu's mind, Amira quickly becoming a different subject in his head, which led to Judai telling Amira to go and check on him, and then the fact that Judai was planning on making the two of them a couple. With the sudden realization of what Judai was planning, Natsu's face instantly became red with a small puff of smoke coming off the top of his head, either from his fever or the embarrassment, Lampent simply making a hollow sighing sound, turning its attention to the door. Natsu lifted his head after seeing the caution that his pokémon seemed to be taking, leaning his head so he could see the door completely, seeing the shadow a person standing in the doorway.

"What do you think?" Natsu asked, Lampent beginning to float over in the door's direction, the figure behind the door almost seeming to be waiting for them to come at him. "Why can't we ever do the smart thing for once?" Natsu asked, following after his pokémon, but still shying a good few feet away from the door as Lampent floated directly in front of it, seeming to coax whoever was one the other side.

"I see," the figure said from the other side, an avian pokémon flapping its wings, to get off of his shoulder. "Seems like you have quite the partner, Kohashigawa," he said, Natsu slightly nervous by the fact he knew his name, but had he been a student, it didn't come as a complete shock. "He knows that if I were to mean any harm to you, it's best to let me attack first, and then have him retaliate within an instant of my original attack. So I guess you win, and I will reveal myself to you to prove I mean no harm," he said, sliding the door open, Natsu a bit more relaxed after seeing whoever it was. "Glad to finally meet you; Gabriel Volantis," he said in introduction. "Dorm head of the rock dorm."

Gabriel, as he introduced himself, was probably one of the most laid back people Natsu had seen out of all of the dorm heads. His build suggested he was strong, though, the prominent vein lines at the ends of his arms and height of over six feet were evidence of that, but at the same time, he was relaxed, not trying to prove himself strong to anyone. His hair was a dirty blond color, sweeping over his face and partially into his eyes in a large mess. His eyes, while on the subject, were a deep brown color, and almost devoid of any sort of dark emotion; giving him that sedated, relaxed, almost glazed over atmosphere. As he walked through the dorm, inspecting several of the decorations Koichi had placed, Natsu noticed something slightly strange about his apparel. Consisting of a skull print t-shirt underneath a black blazer, a pair of blue jeans, and a pair of a white sneakers, everything seemed fairly normal, but as he walked past him, he became aware of a very specific design. Adorning the backside of his blazer was the word "VOLANTIS" in bold type, along with the designs of several of the more iconic Sinnoh legendary pokémon directly underneath; Arceus surrounded by images of Dialga, Palkia, Giratina, Uxie, Mesprit, and Azelf. Flapping in from the door, and quickly onto his shoulder was a pokémon that most wouldn't expect to even exist, but still seemed to intrigue Lampent; Archen.

"You've built up quite the reputation, you know, Kohashigawa," Gabriel said, walking around the room, Natsu sitting back down on one of the sofas, still eating a rice ball. "Although it's been among more of the female consensus if it's that hard to believe," he said, Natsu already knowing painfully well of the situation around him. "And yet, with all of those people around you, you seem to have been unable to make friends with all but one, huh? Judai Ryuzaki, right?" he asked, Natsu nodding. "I've met him, he's a good kid. Maybe a little to gung-ho about everything, but other than, he's cool."

"He worries too much about my life, he should just worry about his own," Natsu said, Gabriel chuckling slightly at how he was acting. "Why can't he just leave me alone about Amira-san?"

"Well, that's a whole other can of worms, let me tell you," Gabriel said, sitting down on the opposite sofa, looking straight on at Natsu. "You see, Judai's always doing stupid things; I once saw the guy try to bungee jump off the roof of the school with a rope that reached higher than the school itself. Thankfully he hit a tree instead of the ground," he said, Natsu widening his eyes out of surprise. "I think he worries about you more than he does himself is because he doesn't have to worry about himself, because he's already put one foot in the grave, and just waiting for the other to catch up. It might help from now on to look at him in that way instead of just always going to the alternative that he's doing nothing more than tormenting you about Amira."

Natsu didn't answer, and just began thinking of what Gabriel was saying, the latter looking at him, and then up at the Lampent floating above him, still keeping his eyes on the third year student, the Archen on his shoulder squawking as though he were some kind of pirate…if only he had an eye-patch. Gabriel, instead of waiting for Natsu to say something, shifted his position, startling his pokémon that tried to hold on, balancing itself by flapping its wings, but making it clear to Natsu that he was focused on Lampent.

"I've heard things about that pokémon of yours, you know," he said, Natsu slightly nervous about what he meant by that. "I'm told that because of this guy, your homeroom teacher has been burned multiple times, that it helped scare away a hoard of obsessed fan girls, and even defeated one of the stronger battlers among the dorm heads for this year. Looking at the two of you, I have to be honest; I don't really see a whole lot of connection right there. It'd be interesting to see how the two of you battle when you're not expecting it," he said with sneer as Natsu began becoming a bit more nervous as to what he was trying to imply.

"W-Why did you come here so late?" Natsu asked, Gabriel laying himself out on the couch to stretch out his back.

"I was finishing up a part-time job, and thought that since I was probably the only dorm head you hadn't met that was still here while the others are abroad for a good portion of the school year," Gabriel explained. "Not to mention, I do have business with you that has to do with a very specific activity I'm sure you're familiar with," he said cracking his knuckles, Natsu cringing slightly at the sound. "Technically this is actually for my graduation. See, in your third year at the school, you have to battle at least five of the other dorm heads before the big competition, otherwise you have to do some big lame paper, and I'm not up for that. I'm crazy enough to direct traffic that has no idea how to stop texting while they drive, but when it comes to writing a paper like that, no thank you."

"So, you just battle me, and that's it?" Natsu asked, Lampent already looking excited.

"That's it," Gabriel confirmed, standing up, Archen flapping madly as he did, again, trying to keep its balance, Natsu following after him, still slightly nervous about how suddenly Gabriel was declaring this battle, quickly grabbing the last of the rice balls from the plate, and placing it in his mouth before leaving the dorm.

* * *

It was already dark outside, the sun beginning to disappear into the visible horizon, the last bits of light showing off in front of Gabriel as he looked off to the side with the streetlamps beginning to turn on, a smile running across his face, letting out a relaxed sigh. Turning to Natsu, he saw that his opponent wasn't as calm, per se, as he was, making him scratch his head, looking down the grassy plain down at Natsu, the latter looking up at him as best he could.

"You really do have issues, don't you?" he asked, Natsu nodding in affirmation. "I'm having a bit of difficulty in figuring this out, because I don't want to make assumptions, but you're either afraid of girls, conversation, or battling," he listed, Natsu turning away, slightly embarrassed. "Either that or the whole combination of them all at once, which really puts a damper in any kind of major fun that I can have with this battle. But then again," he started, Natsu looking up at him. "I'm not the final judge, and it's not my place to determine how much potential a person has, or how much they're worth. Not to mention, I can't help but feel a similarity between us."

"What do you mean?" Natsu asked, Gabriel letting out a sigh, looking back out towards the blackening sky.

"You barely have any actual friends at this school, despite being here for more than a couple weeks," Gabriel noted, Natsu already painfully aware of that. "You and I aren't so different in that regard; it was hard for me to find friends growing up because of some barriers placed in between us. In reality, though, it's the steps you take to cross those bridges that are going to be your biggest help; but enough talk, let's begin," he said, motioning at Archen who flapped down towards the center of the boundary set up between him and Natsu.

"Do your best, Lampent," Natsu said, the ghost type floating towards the center, meeting Archen, ready to battle. "S-Shadow Ball," he said timidly, Lampent acting on the command much faster than his trainer was able to give it. _"Why is Volantis-senpai battling me now?"_ he asked, noticing the Shadow Ball already screaming across the field towards Archen. _"If he wanted to do this for his test thing, then why not wait until morning, and why do it while I'm still reeling in from my fever?"_

The attack from Lampent, upon impacting with Archen, exploded almost immediately, Gabriel not making any reactions despite the smoke surrounding his pokémon, and Lampent already having a triumphant look. Natsu, though, looked up at Gabriel, and saw a smile run across his face, Archen rocketing out of the smoke cloud, and into the air, unscathed by the attack whatsoever. Lampent's eyes were now in wild disbelief as Archen made one loop in the air, and began making a quick dive.

"Hey, Kohashigawa," Gabriel said, looking down at Natsu as Archen swooped down, barely missing Lampent, but continued to do the same from all different angles. "You're new here, I get that, but I have to ask what you know when it comes to geological sciences," he said, Natsu looking at him confused. "Well, being in the rock dorm means that I have to know about this kind of stuff in order to use my pokémon correctly, and the first thing you have to learn about is something called the hardness scale."

"H-Hardness scale?" Natsu questioned, Archen continuing to swoop down, trying to tackle Lampent.

"On a scale of one to ten; specific kinds of minerals can be ranked by terms of their hardness," Gabriel explained. "At the bottom of the scale is the base for certain powders called talc, but going up the list, quartz, topaz, corundum, and diamond have the most apparent hardness in nature. Before you were able to hit me with Lampent's Shadow Ball, Archen used Ancient Power, heaving up a bunch of rocks from within the earth, using them as a barrier," he said, the image still vivid in his mind. "The earth's inner crust is composed primarily of igneous and metamorphic rocks, and the area around us is generally riddled with quartz minerals."

"The barrier was too hard for the attack to break all the way through?" Natsu asked, Gabriel nodding in affirmation.

"You have a good head on those shoulders, I'll give you that," Gabriel said. "But you have to know that there are other reasons that I came to battle you, right?" he asked, Natsu nodding. "Well, it's like I said earlier; the fact you have barely any friends is something I can relate to, but none of us dorm heads can help you if you continually shut us out of your life. So, I decided to go with the direct approach. Archen, you've had your fun; Acrobatics!" he commanded, Archen instantly stopping in midair, and turning back on its side towards Lampent.

As it made another dive, Lampent, having already seen through the move, dodged to the right, but was instantly cut off from the back as Archen made another stop and turn in midair, eventually being able to strike Lampent from side to side, battering it continuously in the air. Watching helplessly as his pokémon was attacked with no signs of stopping, Natsu's head stung for a couple of seconds, most likely from his fever, but then looked back up at Lampent, eventually be able to withstand some of the attacks, still receiving steady damage.

"It's as tough as they say," Gabriel complimented. "But if it can't attack Archen, there's really little hope for you to win this thing, Kohashigawa. Archen, Ancient Power, if you would; I don't delight in seeing a pokémon suffer," he said, Archen flying back in front of Lampent who was floating in the air, weakly at best, as Archen sneered slightly as the ground beneath it began to rumble.

With the flying and rock type's eyes beginning to shine in a harsh light, the rocks underneath the earth blasted out of the ground, launching themselves at the command of the pokémon's wing. Lampent dodged the first few, but was quickly blasted from behind as Archen continued moving its wings from side to side as a way to controlled the stones. With every strike of the rocks, Lampent began to get forced back away towards where Natsu stood, Gabriel not looking pleased by the result of his attack.

"I thought you would be stronger than this, Kohashigawa," Gabriel said, Natsu unable to look at him. "I thought that maybe there would finally be someone I could have a decent battle with, who wasn't all about those new strategies they keep coming up with, and now I find that without your voice, your pokémon are powerless. Is this really the extent of your Lampent's power?" he asked, a small twitch in his eye as he looked down at Natsu, still holding his head to fight back his sickness.

"Lampent is stronger than you think," Natsu declared, Lampent beginning to move past each stone as it was flung at him Archen continually moving the stones in every way possible, but found it now impossible to hit the ghost type. "But he doesn't battle like people used to; simply using their brute strength to win a battle, and instead he uses his intellect which is much more powerful. Lampent, Flame Burst," he said, Lampent speeding through the barrage of stones, until it was adjacent to Archen.

"You don't learn, do you?" Gabriel asked, Archen bringing up a slap of stone in front of it; the boulder standing in between both him and Lampent. "Then bring it on, smart guy."

Lampent heaved its body back, thrusting it forward with a single flare of fire shooting out at the boulder directly, Archen sneering again as the attack was instantly nullified by the rock, but then looked confused as the sound of explosions on the other side. Looking out at the sides of the rock, both Archen and Gabriel watched as small bursts of fire began to explode off to the sides of the rock, eventually making it completely around, almost impacting with Archen. Gabriel snapped his fingers seconds before the flames would have hit, Archen flying into the air, looking down to see the attack had ended, but was also met by Lampent staring it in the air, a Shadow ball attack, already prepared.

"Fire," Natsu said confidently, Lampent releasing the attack, the rocks below Archen, too low for them to be brought up in time, the flying type falling from the sky, and towards the ground, able to regain its balance before hitting the ground indefinitely.

"The old bait and switch, huh?" Gabriel asked, Natsu smiling slightly as Lampent returned to ground level, the ghost and fire type looking at its work with a grin present in its eyes. "Not bad, I have to say, but still not enough to take me out," he said, Archen charging after Lampent in the air, flying directly past it, ending behind it, a trail of stones following past it.

The stones all missed after launching themselves at Lampent, the ghost type turning back to its opponent, Archen making a quick climb into the air, and making a large loop in the air, making another tackle towards Lampent. After flying past Lampent again, Archen's eyes began to shine again, the stone already rising from the ground, and about to fly directly at Lampent.

"Do you know the three different rocks types, Kohashigawa?" Gabriel asked, the stones around Archen swirling around it instead of attacking Lampent, Natsu looking up at his senior confused again. "It's the basis for identifying the names of rocks; igneous: rocks formed by the cooling and crystallization of magma at different pressure levels, sedimentary: broken down rocks that are eroded away, deposited into a single area, and pressurized through lithification, and metamorphic: any rock that is put through heat and pressure to change the crystal alignment, and making the crystal deposits look as they are more organized. Approximately ninety percent of the earth crust is made up of igneous and metamorphic, as I've said, but sedimentary rocks make up the bulk of what he see on the surface; why do you think that is?"

"W-Why are you asking me this?" Natsu asked, Gabriel smirking.

"It's because igneous rocks are only considered so if the crystals in them are visible," Gabriel continued. "Why do you think I brought up the hardness scale earlier?" he asked, Natsu still confused to no end. "A mineral's hardness can only be measured if they are actual crystals formed through lava flows, and only igneous rocks can attest to these kinds of crystals when they are formed. Why is it, do you suppose, that when I use Ancient Power, that I have Archen use the rocks beneath us, rather than use the rocks already around us, instead?"

"Crystals have an inherent hardness that other rocks don't?" Natsu asked, Gabriel smiling as he began to clap his hands.

"Partly," Gabriel said, Archen beginning to fly around the battlefield boundaries with the rocks still surrounding him. "Sedimentary rocks, made of eroded material, usually sediments like sand or shale, are never as solid, or tightly bonded as fresh igneous rocks. There is a reason that I'm telling you all of this, and in this is the key to your victory, if you can figure it out."

"I take it you won't tell me?" Natsu asked; Gabriel smiling to answer, Natsu's mind already trying to work though any kind of clue that could have been given through his speech. _"If there is an answer in the kind of rock type he uses, how does it help me beat him? Is there something that Lampent can do to make sure the rocks he uses are ineffective? Why does my head keep hurting so much?"_ he asked, his head beginning to sting again, looking up at Lampent as it continually backed away from Archen. _"If there is something that Lampent can do to make the rocks no longer a use for him, what would that be? He said that igneous rocks are formed through intense heat when they're formed from magma; could it be that heat is the key?"_

Looking down at Natsu, Gabriel smiled a bit more warmly, rather than sinisterly, looking back up at Archen slowly flying after Lampent. _"This kid is certainly interesting,"_ he said, watching him hold his head in pain. _"Despite being in that weakened state of his, he's trying to learn, and that's what makes him qualified for this position; a desire to figure something out by watching. Too bad he still so far off from the answer to defeat the power of an igneous rock. Besides, without the last piece of information, he can't hope to defeat Archen."_

"Heat Wave!" Natsu shouted from the other end of the battlefield, Gabriel looking down at him surprised as Lampent turned around, blasting at Archen with a continual blast of heated air, the latter protecting itself with the stones as a form of a shield. _"Maybe I can melt the crystals if I use enough heat,"_ he said to himself, Gabriel chuckling at him slightly, noticing how determined Natsu was of his plan.

"An interesting use of logic; use what made them in order to turn them back," Gabriel noticed, Natsu looking at him confused, Lampent continuing to attack the rocks with the super heated air. "Unfortunately, the way the rock cycle works isn't the same way as it is to defeat it. There is something that I think you should know about igneous rocks; within the basis of geology there is a chart known as 'Bowen's Reaction Series,'" Gabriel explained, Natsu looking down at him, completely forgetting that Lampent was still attacking Archen's barrier. "The series is a basic idea as to how and where certain igneous rock types will form; beginning as hot as twelve hundred degrees, minerals such as olivine will begin to form and cool, meaning that if there were olivine rich igneous rocks, you would be unable to destroy them with the use of heat. But seeing as the rocks here are filled with quartz, it might be able to work," he said, Natsu beginning to reassure himself. "But only if you're able to get Lampent to use heat well over eight hundred degrees centigrade."

"C-Celsius?" Natsu asked, looking up at Lampent, about to shout at him to stop, but was too late; the stones were thrown at him, knocking it off its balance, and about to fall to the ground.

"My clue was more obvious than something you had to figure out through different kinds of loops, and whatnot, and all about what came next," Gabriel said, Archen coming back down to the ground. "Get a Stone Edge ready, will you?" he said, the attack name sending a shiver down Natsu's spine as the jagged stones encircling Archen pointed themselves directly at Lampent.

"_What did he mean by what came next?"_ he asked, Lampent, still able to float above the ground, looking back at his trainer, seeing him about to fall to his knees from fatigue of his fever. _"He said that he was using igneous rocks partly because they were harder than sedimentary rocks, and that because sediments are basic sands, they're easily broken. Wait…maybe that's it; if I can break the rocks apart, and pulverize them, then maybe they won't be able to be used for his attacks; but what attack can Lampent use for something like that. I wish that I was using Golett for this kind of a battle, but is there something that Lampent can do?"_

"_I'll give him maybe another minute or two to figure this out, otherwise, it's bye-bye, kid,"_ Gabriel said, looking down towards the number of depression in the earth he had created from just this one battle. _"I will say this, though, I've never had an opponent who can force me to use this much power in one sitting; props for that one, kid, but it still won't be your victory if you can't figure out what Lampent can do to defeat me."_

"Lampent, use Hex," Natsu said quietly, Gabriel smiling at the sound of the attack, not bothering to give the order to attack to his own pokémon.

As Lampent's eyes began to glow a dark, ominous purple color, the same colored membrane formed around the individual stones as Archen watched with the same smile as its trainer. The strain in Lampent's eyes were as noticeable as the power that it was forcing into its attack, the minerals in the stones surrounding Archen beginning to break off around the crystals themselves, the hard pieces of quartz still too durable to be broken down by the attack. Even still, as each of the stones were worn away by the attack, Lampent began to waver, the ghost type weakly floating in the air, Archen and Gabriel both looking impressed.

"Interesting tactic, Kohashigawa," Gabriel said, kneeling down to pick up one of the quartz minerals that had fallen out of the cemented rock. "See, what you did was called mechanical weathering and erosion. The process of taking the rocks overall structure and wearing away at it, little by little, but not changing what they were to begin with," he said, holding up the quartz crystal, and stuffing it into his pocket. "The rock cycle works in different parts; beginning with lava or magma," he said, an illustration becoming clear in his mind. "After the magma is cooled and crystallized, dependent on where the crystals formed, you get certain kinds of igneous rocks, and after they are on the surface long enough to be weathered, they become sediments that are deposited and cemented together to make sedimentary rocks like sandstone."

"I just figured that if I attacked the stones, then the rocks would go away," Natsu said, slightly embarrassed by the praise he was getting. "You told me that sedimentary rocks were more easy to break, do I thought if I could make the igneous rocks into the next stage, I could beat you, hopefully."

"Well, you were right, with only one problem in your logic," Gabriel responded. "The cycle in which rocks go through isn't as simple a process as it is with water, and it's often much slower; normally happening only millions of years at a time in order to go through it once. And even after the sedimentary rocks are formed, there is the process that they'll be subjected to heat and pressure, and eventually made into metamorphic rocks, and soon the cycle will start again, and in a way, it's a form of life that we can't comprehend just yet completely. But then again, we're not doing so well with regular life, either, so it balances out," he said, Natsu chuckling slightly.

"So, why did you battle me now?" Natsu asked, Gabriel looking down at him with a smile. "Even I can tell that you didn't come here for the reason you gave me, and I know you didn't want to come here to make me feel like I have friends."

"No, you're right," Gabriel confirmed, Archen returning to his shoulder. "I came here to battle you, but only to learn something. And that is if you can figure out your way out of a situation that would put you through one of your biggest fears," he said, Natsu figuring that he was talking about his fear of a person's gaze on him. "You can say that you're afraid of girls, talking to people, or even just looking at them, but I can tell you're afraid of something that is a bit more common, and infinitely more treatable," he said, Natsu looking up for an answer. "You're afraid to lose," he said, Natsu looking at him confused. "I can recognize the look that people give you when they don't think you've done all that you can do, and I'm sure as heck aware of when people think that you're a failure because of one single loss on your track record. What you're afraid of his a certain look that people give you, but only the one that says 'you could've done more,' or maybe, 'you wouldn't have lost if you had done this better,' and even the one that says, 'what's the put of you even trying.' But that's because they only happen when you lose."

"I-I'm afraid to lose?" Natsu asked, Gabriel nodding.

"You're afraid of letting a certain person down by always being seen as the one who lost, and the one they'll always see as the screw-up," he said, Natsu smiling slightly in understanding, another sharp sting of pain running across his head as he fell down to his knees, the pain in his head too much to bear before falling unconscious.

* * *

It was still dark when he opened his eyes, Natsu looking around him, feeling the cold outside air kissing his cheek slightly as it blew over, Natsu suddenly realizing that his head was elevated. Turning his head to the side, Natsu allowed his eyes to do the final inspection as he continued to look up, a series of red strands of hair looking down at him from a pair of glazed over eyes, and a gentle smile from June, making Natsu blush intensely as he tried to jump up, June holding him down from the shoulders.

"Ah, I guess he's finally up, huh?" he heard another voice say. "Ya okay, bro?" Judai said, looking down at him, seeing Natsu's face covered in blush. "From the way your face is lookin', I'd say you're doin' just fine," he said, Natsu still trying to get up from where he was lying down.

Looking around him, Natsu was able to discern the different faces of all the other dorm heads; Maaya, Amira, Takeru, Mika, Sienna, Gabriel, Jiro, Mitsu, and Kaname, all staring down at him, their gazes making him blush slightly, trying to turn away from them, a snap being heard from a vein in Maaya's forehead as she reached down, picking him up by his collar.

"That's the kind of thanks we get for coming out for your sake, you little, brat?" she asked, her fist thrown back. "Whatever," she said, throwing him off to the side. "You're not worth the time it would take to hit," she said, looking over at where she threw him, finding him arms holding onto Amira's, both looking at each other, blush covering the other's faces. "On second thought," she said, pounding her fist into her palm.

Turning around at the feeling of Maaya's anger towards him, Natsu let go of Amira's arms, and made a mad sprint across the courtyard of the ghost dorm, Maaya having her fist extended outward, Hitmonchan and Lampent both following after them, the other dorm heads not being able to help but laugh at them.

"This is definitely shapin' up to be one heck of a year, ain't it?" Judai asked, the others agreeing. "Just hope my bro can live that long," he said, Maaya gripping onto the back of Natsu' collar and jumping on top of him, all of what was being seen as a large dust cloud enveloping both.

"Year? I doubt he'll make it to the semester," Kaname said as Gabriel looked off into the night sky, a smile still running across his face.

"_We're not the heads of our dorms for no reason,"_ he said, looking back at the ghost dorm, the others still watching Natsu get the snot beat out of him. _"We all have our secrets; some of us may seem to be more secretive than others, but they're what bind us together into this group. And the glue to hold us together is that kid over there. It's as Mitsu and Jiro talked about earlier, have no idea why they told me, but hey; none of us would have even considered coming to this old place if he wasn't here. There's not a person in this school that won't know this kids name after the first couple months, and if all goes well, my last year here will be one of the best years of my life. Welcome aboard…Natsu,"_ he said, Natsu already trying to escape from underneath Maaya. _"If you live that long, though."_

* * *

Character Appearances:

Natsu Kohashigawa: Lampent & Golett. NightFall00

Judai Ryuzaki: Monferno & Torkoal. Jexo

Jiro Matsushita: Bibarel, other Pokémon TBA. Goldenfeatherkyru

Mitsuta "Mitsu" Ichihana: Glaceon, other Pokémon TBA. Crossroader32

Gabriel Volantis: Archen, other Pokémon TBA. WereDragon EX

June Kurosaki: Lairon, other Pokémon TBA. Lady Island Rose

Maaya Yoshida: Hitmonchan & Hitmonlee. emmausgirl94

Amira Khumalo: Kirlia & Duosion. FlyPandaBear

Takeru Sanjero: Mothim, other Pokémon TBA. Moth's Aflame

Mika Saito: Ledian, other Pokémon TBA. Cyanide the Sneasel

Sienna Smith: Vibrava, other Pokémon TBA. Fluttersong

Kaname Misaki: Sableye, other Pokémon TBA. Ariesbird

* * *

Notes:

"Bro": As you noticed in this chapter, Judai begins referring to Natsu by the term "Bro," or "Kyoudai" in Japanese. Essentially it's the actual translated word for male sibling, but between two guys with a sense of comradery it generally means that the two are pretty close friends, or the one sees something in the other that makes him worthy of respect. Obviously, Natsu doesn't see the connection right now, but that may be more to do with the fact he's terrified of Judai's plan, but I digress. Examples of where you might see this would be between two teenage guys, obviously, and another example would probably be between memebrs of the yakuza, or Japanese mafia, where the "family" would be regarded as such in every possible way. Just thought I should give you a bit of reasoning as to why he speaks the way he does.

Being Sick in Japan: Now, as I've already shown you in some other notes, not necessarily in this story, but in others; you'd know by now that Japan has a very different culture than others, and this is one of the areas where things tend to get a bit too out of hand. First off, let me preface this with the fact that Japan is a society with free health care, which explains the way that Pokémon Centers are set up, and that it is a society where people are meant to take care of each other. Well, when a person in Japan gets sick, they usually will go to an actual clinic, and we're talking, even if it's just the sniffles; they will go to the doctor, and chances are antibiotics will be prescribed if it is something more dangerous or contagious. But still, just compare health care in Japan to where the vast majority of us are in the US; we want to go to the doctor, they charge us for walking in; they got it pretty good in some cases I have to say.

Mohr's Hardness Scale: Again, this comes with a bit of a disclaimer; these are real geological terms that I have learned about in my geology course in college, and since I'm doing nothing further with the subject after this quarter, I figured, why not use a bit of it to my advantage. First off, Mohr's Hardness Scale is, as Gabriel described, a scale from one to ten to rank how hard a mineral actually is, and as we should all know, diamonds are the hardest mineral in the world, but what about some common materials; how would they rank? Well, in geology, depending on the mineral you're studying, sometime you'll tend to use glass to determine its position on the hardness scale as it ranks about five and a half on the scale, meaning that if it has less of hardness, the glass will actually wear away at it. In the same way, your fingernail has a ranking of two and a half, so you can effectively file your nails on a piece of quartz if you wanted to.

Bowen's Reaction Series: Bowen's Reaction Series, a secondary way of figuring out how minerals work, is based on different temperatures (in Celsius) at which certain mineral crystals will begin to form. It's a little complicated when you first try to read it, but after a while you start to get how the entirety of it works. Here's a quick rundown; on the side is a temperature reading of 1200 degrees (2192* F) down to 750 (1382 * F), and show at which points certain crystals will form at the temperatures given, and the kinds of minerals that will form (granitic, mafic, intermediate, and basaltic). It's too complicated to talk about like, but hopefully this helps you understand a bit of what's being talked about in the chapter.

* * *

Chapter four complete. Well, there you go, all of the characters have been introduced, and now we can get into some of the more focused chapters; obviously Natsu will still be a primary focus, but within these chapters, more of certain characters will be showed off along with their other pokémon. Hopefully this chapter was more to some of your liking, seeing as Natsu was not the actual winner of a battle as opposed to being an OP character. I'm hoping to do a lot with the other characters given, and hopefully this is a story that all of you can say, "Yeah, I could see this being an anime." That's my unobtainable dream down the road, but I like to think about it sometimes.

Until we meet again, ja nee.


	6. The Truth in Feeling

Hey guys, NightFall here with the next chapter of HDD, which so many of you have been so good to support, which I almost find surprising, seeing as it has the least amount of characters in it, but maybe that's better than just allowing up to twenty five characters or more; you can look at a couple of my other stories for a bit more on that subject. So with this chapter, seeing as I consider the first four to be an introductory arc, I'm going to get a bit more into the characters, and as I said in the last chapter, Natsu will still be a central role, but I will get into other people. I also hope to do more with the human side of a lot of the pokémon as I was able to do with Lampent and Golett, so I do have a plan for this story; wish that was the case for my others, but I digress, and now welcome you to my next chapter, and the latest exploits of Natsu and friends.

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN POKÉMON, BECAUSE IF I DID, GHOSTS AND DRAGONS WOULD NOT BE WEAK TO THEMSELVES.**

* * *

Chapter 5: The Truth in Feeling

How many times have you ever looked at yourself, and you've realized something new about yourself, even though everyone else seemed to notice it all so obviously? This happens more often than most people would be led to believe, which proves all the more that people are most oblivious about one thing more than anything else; themselves. People are often more concerned with others, never worrying about themselves, and from that, they begin to learn more about the other person than they would about you they themselves are. But then again, these people who look at other people with more respect than they would find in themselves are able to figure out things about others by taking time away from themselves, and focusing on others. It's never clear who the more noble person is, or who the strongest is, for that matter; whether it be the person who knows everything about himself, and knows that they have the power to help, or if it's the person who looks away from his power, and begins to find what is in another person, looking down on them with a feeling of pride they could never find in their own being.

* * *

As his hands glided across the chalkboard in front of him, Natsu looked back and forth from the problem to the answer he was writing, forgetting completely about the class behind him watching as he wrote. As if his mind was blank, Natsu wasn't embarrassed or scared of anything around him, but instead, it almost felt to the others in the room that it wasn't exactly Natsu writing up at the board. As he continued writing, Natsu slowly closed his eyes, and began thinking about the next part of the problem, the stick chalk turning back and over in his hand, several of the grains falling from the worn away tip.

"_Why does this piece of chalk make me feel so nostalgic?"_ he asked as he went back to writing the problem. _"I guess it has to do with the fact I've been on trainer's leave for quite a while, and the most schooling I got while on the road was at some roadside schools with free lecture classes. But there's something else about being able to write up here again that makes me feel this way, and I just quite put my finger as to…oh, yeah. There was that day,"_ he said, finishing the problem, a small double underline beneath the answer. _"I guess I've always done that," _he said, looking at the small mark underneath his answer. _"I guess it was always my little signature when I was at the board, my own way of proving the answer was mine,"_ he said, walking back over to his seat, Koichi looking up at the problem in disbelief.

"I'm starting to hate you, kid, you know that?" he said, looking down at Natsu who instantly snapped out of his trance, looking up at his answer, and even at the double underline making him sink his head past his shoulders. "But how can I get mad at you for getting it completely right? No mistakes, not even a little misstep along the way. Nobody would have ever guessed you've been on trainer's leave for the past few years."

Natsu nodded in reply, looking out the window with the leaves rustling in the wind, a more melancholy look on his face as he placed his head down on the desk, almost as though he were about to fall asleep, resting it on his arms. As Koichi began explaining the process that Natsu took to solving the problem, Natsu looked at the students in his class, and then upwards at both Lampent and Monferno, but more towards the ghost type pokémon.

"_It was before I met you, definitely,"_ he said, closing his eyes to remember what had happened. _"It was probably the last day I ever went to that school, and before I ever went on my trainer's leave. I wasn't sure what I missed more; the smell of the chalkboard, the friction based sounds of the chalk against it, the teacher looking over my work when it was finished, or was it because of that person?"_ he wondered, still looking up at Lampent, and then turning his head back forward towards the board.

Classes didn't last for too much longer in the grand scheme of things, hours passing by quicker than somebody who had a bit too much fiber added in his diet, if you get the meaning. Natsu didn't stick around in the class for too long, walking past Judai, the latter following after him with both of the fire type pokémon following behind their respective trainers. Natsu was fairly quiet as always, not bringing forth any conversation, and letting out an occasional sigh as he looked back out the window, a small smile being brought to his face. The feeling didn't last for too long as Judai wrapped his arm around the back of his neck.

"Thinkin' of a certain dark haired, dark skinned beauty, are ya?" he asked, Natsu face already beginning to become a tinted red color. "Oh come on, I let ya off the hook yesterday 'cause of your fever, but now you're completely defenseless in this situation," he said, an evil smirk beginning to run across his face as Natsu twitched slightly before making a mad dash towards the end of the hallway. "Not so fast, bro," Judai said, simply reaching out an arm, much longer than Natsu's keeping him in place as he began dragging him along the hallway.

"_What's with Judai, lately?"_ Natsu asked, Lampent looking down at his trainer, more than a little amused. _"I knew he wanted me and Amira-senpai to get together, but isn't this taking things a bit too far. I've only seen her maybe three different times, not counting instances in passing,"_ he continued to say to himself, knowing that Judai probably wouldn't listen no matter what he said.

"Ya know, come to think of it, though," Judai said, continuing to pull Natsu along the floor by the back of his shirt. "You're probably the person in this school that I know the least about. Sure, I know more than some people about a certain thin' you've been hidin', but I can't think of a whole heck of a lot else I do know about ya. I guess if I'm gonna fix you two lovebirds up, I gotta know some kind of dirty little secret that you're hidin' besides the obvious."

"_A secret of mine besides Reaper?"_ Natsu questioned to himself. _"I don't know. Aside from that aspect of my life, there really isn't a lot to me. Well, maybe there is that one thing I can do. My dad did say it was the one of the only things I could do that made him proud, to some degree. But if it comes to anything that I want to keep secret from anyone else, there isn't really anything. Oh, wait, there is that thing,"_ he said, a small amount of blush coming over his face, not going unnoticed by Judai, who quickly wrapped his arm over his neck, to get rid of any chance of escape. _"Why did I have to remember that?"_

"Okay, bro. That kind of blushin' only makes me think you're guilty of somethin', so spill," he said, Natsu doing his best to avert his eyes to avoid the conversation at any cost. "Oh well, I guess I could always figure this out from a little bit of my own experiences," he said, finally releasing Natsu, but still was able to back him into a corner. "A kind a blush like that makes me think that Amira-senpai ain't your first crush. So that means ya must have had a girlfriend back where ya lived, am I right?" he deduced, Natsu not denying it, but looked away again to avoid the topic. "Or could it be that ya had a crush on somebody ya couldn't lay your hand on?" he asked, the red tint on Natsu's cheeks growing deeper. "Ah-ha, that makes more sense."

"It was just a little crush when I was kid," Natsu tried to explain, the use of the word 'kid' probably not being the best choice of words. "Nothing ever came of it. I kept it to myself, and never told anybody about it, so can we leave it at that?" he asked, Judai's sneer giving Natsu the answer he didn't exactly want to hear. "Do you promise not to tell anybody, Judai?" he asked, almost desperate for his promise as Judai simply nodded, holding his hand behind his back, two of his fingers crossed.

Cupping his hand over his mouth, Natsu moved closer to Judai's ear, and whispered a single word, to which Judai quickly sneered on the inside, but still feigned a look of surprise at hearing the name. Looking down at Natsu with a fake surprised look, trying to show some form of sympathy for how embarrassed his classmate was, bursting out in laughter on the inside, noticing the deep red shade of Natsu's cheeks as he stood up from the corner, walking past Judai.

"_This guy is too much!"_ he said, following after Natsu as he made his way back to the ghost dorm. _"To think he's stressin' about havin' a small crush on a popular girl in school. That's gotta be the most ridiculous thin' I've heard of. I can't think of anyone that hasn't had some kind of a little kid crush on one of their school's idols, and he thinks that it's something to be ashamed of. This guy is seriously on a whole other level. But it's still somethin' I can use for my, and Amira-senpai's, benefit. Prepare yourself, bro,"_ he finished, a sudden chill running up Natsu' spine.

Natsu kept an ever watchful eye out for any kind of action that Judai made, for fear he would actually try to use force to get him and Amira to have, what he would say, "quality time," but couldn't help feel an even bigger problem rising as the old inn came into view, Koichi standing in the doorway, seemingly waiting for the single resident. Behind him, Amira, Maaya, Jiro, and Mika all stood as though waiting for him, making him feel all the more nervous about what was going to happen next, granted with him, he knew it couldn't be good.

* * *

"Eh? A class reunion?" Natsu asked, Koichi holding pushing a letter towards him from across the table separating the two couches they both sat at.

"So it would seem," Koichi said, standing up, beginning to pace back and forth behind Natsu. "Apparently your fourth grade class made a plan in that year to meet up in six years to see how everybody was doing in terms of pokémon training, but had to send a special invite to you due to your dropping out earlier in the year as per your father's wishes, and they couldn't make sure you knew the date right away. They asked the headmistress to give you a couple of days of leave so you can head down to convention center down in the main part of Nimbasa, so it'll be a couple of days over the weekend of seeing your old friends," he said, Judai giving off a disdainful look as his plans for both Natsu and Amira would have to be put on the backburner yet again.

"Tell them I won't be coming," Natsu promptly replied, walking up the stairs up to his room, disappearing behind the staircase.

"Well that was abrupt," Jiro said, looking down at the special invitation meant for him specifically. "You think something may have happened to him back then that he doesn't want to relive. Like you said, he did have to drop out of the school for his trainer's leave. Maybe they're just trying to get back at them for leaving before them. I know some of the kids back at my school wouldn't mind taking a stick to my butt."

"Slightly depressing," Maaya said, picking up the paper, looking almost like some kind of essay from the length. "Why anyone would want to be friends with that little wuss is beyond me, though. I can only imagine how much more of stutter he had back then," she said, chuckling at her joke, despite being the only one to do so. "I don't think it's such a bad idea for him to skip out, though. I mean, he probably wouldn't be able to say anything, anyway."

"_That's not very nice to say, Maaya-chan,"_ Amira wrote down on her notepad, showing it to her friend as Mika grabbed the invitation from the fighting trainer, and looked at it for several seconds before placing it back onto the table.

"If Natsu-kun isn't willing to go to something his friends really want him at, then we'll probably have to convince him to go to it," she said. "He had to miss out on making a whole bunch of memories with all of his friends, and now they want to pick up where they left off from, so why not just make him go."

"Because we ain't his parents, nor his jailers," Judai said, sitting down on one of the couches, propping his leg onto the other. "If my bro doesn't feel like going to this kind of event, I don't see a point in makin' him go. Besides, from the way he's been actin', I don't think school is a very comfortable place for him. Who knows what his old friends may have planned for him. They might just be tryin' to get back at him, like Jiro-senpai said."

"Jiro-kun," Mika started, the normal trainer instantly turning around. "Go and talk to Natsu-kun, okay?" she asked, flicking a small piece of chocolate into the air towards the staircase, Jiro's body acting as though it were being pulled limp towards it, catching it in his mouth before heading up the rest of the flight of stairs. "It's always nice to have a trained messenger, isn't it?" she said, the others sharing in her amusement slightly, still reading through the details of the invitation on time and place, and possible activities.

* * *

Walking silently up to Natsu's room, seeing the door left slightly ajar, Jiro peeked inside to see Natsu simply sitting in the center of the room silently, Lampent floating above him, and Golett sitting in a meditation stance, shifting its eye position to see who was standing in the doorway. Walking in without another word, Jiro leaned against the wall directly adjacent to the door, Natsu letting out a sigh, knowing he was there, both of the ghost pokémon turning to face him, wary of what he might try.

"Something happened back then that's keeping you away, right?" he asked, Natsu not reacting to what he said. "You know, I would understand if you were nervous about seeing them for the first time since you were ten, right? But it's not like they've all kept in touch since they all left for their own training journeys. You just started earlier; shouldn't that make you all the more impressive to them. You got a strong pokémon with you, shouldn't that be enough to show off what happened to you halfway through the year," he said, a small chuckle coming from Natsu.

"Do you remember, when you were in elementary school, how there were always different kinds of people that would hang out with each other?" he asked, Jiro simply nodding, not wanting to interrupt him. "In my class there were five different kinds of people; the athletes with their fighting and rock pokémon, the intellectuals with psychic pokémon, the popular girls with their cute, puffy pokémon, and the normal kids with their own mixed group of pokémon. Then there was me, sitting off in the far corner in the shadows without a pokémon to call my partner. Unlike the others in my class, I didn't have my pokémon until I started training it, and no one ever saw what I could do with a pokémon. The teacher never called on me for anything kind of pokémon battling theory, but just for math and science problems. I never talked to anybody in that class, and then I left without a word. Do I have the right to go back to somewhere that may not even really remember me?" he asked, looking behind him at Jiro, his eyes longing for an answer; one that Jiro was unable to provide. "Nobody there was my friend or anything, and I could never be sure if they ever truly wanted to be that close to me."

"Boy; and I thought I had problems," Jiro said, pulling over a chair from the side of the room, Natsu still looking away from him, and out the window. "Don't you think that maybe they realized that they never got the chance to know you, and that now would be the best time for them to do just that?"

"Why would they want to?" Natsu asked. "They never tried before, so why try now?"

"Because this time, _you_ might be willing to let them get to know you," Jiro replied, the words striking through to Natsu almost instantly as he tilted his head downward. "I may not know you as well as Judai-kun, but I know one thing. You have one of the hardest exteriors around yourself among any of us here, and that is by no means a compliment. You say that they never tried to get to know you back at your old school, but maybe that was because you never would let them get close enough to you to let them learn who you were. Believe me, wishing for something to happen isn't quite enough anymore, you have to have a little handle in what happens as well, otherwise it becomes your greatest regret," he said, seeing Natsu stand up, beginning to walk past him with Lampent following soon after. "Where you going?"

"To get rid of a regret," he answered, Jiro looking triumphant, unwrapping the candy in his hand, placing it directly into his mouth, almost going into a state of ecstasy as Golett could only watch from its meditation stance, a bead of sweat dropping from its forehead.

After Jiro walked down from Natsu's room, still chewing on the candy thrown at him, he found that Natsu was no longer in the dorm anymore, and that the others were also looking kind of confused, mostly likely from the way he was acting. "Didn't he RSVP for the reunion thing?"

"No, he just walked out, and said he'd be back later," Koichi answered. "Said something about regretting not having done something in the last couple of weeks. Obviously whatever you said to him didn't get through that entirely well with your intentions," he said, Jiro ceasing to chew on the sweet, almost crushed psychologically from having failed at what he was supposed to do, dropping the candy off of the tip of his tongue to the floor. _"That was a little more than sad."_

* * *

The grassy hill with the wind rolling over it was something of a nostalgic feeling for Natsu; rightfully so, seeing as it was a place he came to long after he started training his pokémon. Feeling his hair flow behind him, Natsu was able to grasp a couple of the strands, twirling them in between his fingers before walking towards a small wooden building, the outside deck playing host to two elderly people also experiencing the nostalgia of the wind, and an even more powerful nostalgia as Natsu passed by both. Receiving a cheerful greeting from both, Natsu walked back into the senior center he had been visiting for three years, a man sitting far off to the corner, looking out a window, his hands shaking against his cane. While his violent shaking could have just been from his condition, Natsu knew that there was something different in the way he shook; he was waiting for somebody, somebody that Natsu knew all too well; himself.

"Jii-chan," Natsu started, his voice filling the room with a sound the old man had feared he would never hear again, instantly turning around to see if it was truly who he had hoped for, Natsu's face bringing a smile to his own. "Sorry; I've been kinda busy with school."

* * *

"So, I take it you took my advice, and decided to enter that fancy school up the road?" the old man asked, Natsu nodding as both studied the chessboard they were playing on, Natsu's original bleak outlook having changed from what the man had known previously. "I take it you've found some friends. Tell me about them."

"I don't know if they're all my friends, but I know that there's Judai," Natsu started. "He's kinda cool, and he's really good at fighting with fire type pokémon, but he's a little weird, trying to get me a girlfriend, and all. Then there's Maaya-senpai; she's kind of mean to me, always calling me a wimp, or a wuss, but I think she has a heart she's just not in tune with yet. There are a lot of other people that I've met since I started going there, and I do want to talk to you about them."

"Well, I'm not going anywhere, so I'll always be ready to listen," his friend said, moving his knight piece against one of Natsu's pawns. "You say this Judai person has been trying to get you a girlfriend; does that mean you've found somebody you like fairly well?" he asked, Natsu's face instantly becoming red, a trail of steam escaping from the top. "Ha! I knew you'd end up just like me; a real hit with the ladies. So what's her name?"

"A-Amira," Natsu said, the name making the old man swoon himself a little bit. "I don't even know if I like her; she's just easier to talk with than other girls. Maybe it's because she doesn't talk too much. Judai's determined to get us together, but I just don't think it's a good idea. Maaya-senpai doesn't like me, and those two are always together."

"Love does not come without consequences, my young friend," the old man said, continuing on the game, still listening to Natsu. "And with a girl so alike to you, you have to strike while the iron's hot. This may sound depressing, but many girls that are drawn to you, may not be for the most honorable of reasons," he said, Natsu painfully aware of such a thing. "But with your hesitance to move on with this Amira girl, I would assume that there is another person that you may have your eye on currently."

"In a manner of speaking," Natsu admitted. "Everybody I meet that does the same thing I do has been trying to help me, almost to the point where they're being overbearing, and really just always hanging around me. It's just one of those things I can't understand."

"You've always been hard to figure out, Natsu-kun, but I do know that you have changed since you began training your pokémon," the old man responded. "Before, when you were alone in the school you used to go to, you were a person who craved for interaction, but were not willing to commit yourself to whatever it was going to take in order to get that, and therefore saw it as your greatest fault. But now, since being alone from people became your life, you're unable to figure out why the people around you are so drawn to you, am I right?" he asked, Natsu simply nodding, placing his rook in the direct path of the old man's king, declaring check. "Well perhaps something else about you has changed since you began going to this school, and it is what draws these people to you. Everybody has something they are the best at, and chances are, whatever that may be from you is among what they find to be the most appealing."

"Whatever the reason is, it's been causing me grief with my friend and the girl that hates me," Natsu said. "I'm not even real sure how the others think of me. I've only battled a couple of them; one of them as, 'you-know-who,'" he said, his friend nodding in understanding.

"You know, after I found out who you were, I was worried you were going to give up on me, but that may be one of your more appealing traits; you refuse to let a friend down," he said, Natsu blushing slightly at the compliment. "My time here left is going to be short, so I hope I can count on you to always be there for me when my family won't be. Who knows, my granddaughter may even look to you for comfort, and the two of you could carry on my legacy," he said, Natsu almost choking on the idea, about to fall back in his chair. "There's something else bothering you, isn't there?"

"Kinda," Natsu replied, and began explaining what had happened just earlier, from the invitation to the talk he had with Jiro. "It's not that I don't want to go or anything, it's just that I haven't seen these people for a much longer time than they have each other. I don't know if I have the right to go back, and act as though nothing had happened when I left them with a word."

"You know, when I was about thirty, I was invited to a reunion with my graduating high school class," the old man said, continuing the game past the original check. "I decided not to go because I wasn't going to have enough hours at my work that I was hoping for. Turns out that when they had the party, everybody was planning a big surprise for me because I graduated from the class earlier than the others due to complications at my home. I never got to see the end of my high school career as they did, and they wanted me to go through the ceremony of getting my diploma from our old headmaster. I, instead, decided that my life right then and there as all that mattered, and that the past was just that. Nothing more than a distant memory that I never got to experience."

"What's your point?" Natsu asked, placing his king back into check.

"Geology, archaeology, paleontology, and a whole mess of other scientific disciplines teach others that the past is the key to understand the future or the present," the old man began explaining. "I was so caught up in my future; I never once thought to look to the past. I was suppressing the memories that everyone else got to have that I never was able to experience. My past was the key to the way I behaved then, and afterwards I came to have that as my one regret. A life that is not ready to end is one that still has something left to accomplish; it's the situation many ethereal spirits face in folktales. Trust me when I say this, you can wish for something all you want, but if you aren't willing to do what it takes to get what you want, that will become your greatest regret," he said, the familiar sounding lines making Natsu look up at his friend, seeing the shadow of Jiro behind him, the same expression decorating his face as Jiro had.

"Sometimes hearing the same thing from two different people is what it takes for somebody to learn what you want to get across to them," Natsu said quietly, his friend fully capable of hearing what he was saying, chuckling as he looked down at the game board, having been distracted for some time, surprised to see the checkmate Natsu was able to accomplish. "The same applies to being taught something, and just learning how to do something," he said, referencing his newfound skills in the game he was constantly beaten at. "But thanks all the same."

"So what're you going to do, Natsu-kun?" he asked, beginning to set up a new game.

"I'm going to make sure that when I do have to meet with the figure my Lampent is to represent, that I can look at him, and say to him, 'I have nothing more to do in this world, so take me if you will,'" Natsu replied. "I'll make sure that I don't have any regrets in anything I do. I'll be sure to thank my friend who tried so hard to get me to see what you just taught me."

"That's my boy," the old man said, the two beginning another game of chess, unaware of several figures pressing their faces to the window directly facing Natsu's back, his friend chuckling at the sight of them. _"So those are his friends, huh? Please take care of him for me. I fear that soon, I won't be around much longer to teach him,"_ he said, bowing slightly to the ones outside; Judai, Amira, Mika, and Jiro all bowing in unison while Maaya stayed off to the side, letting out a large huff of air.

* * *

Waving goodbye to his friend, Natsu left the senior center with Lampent floating behind him, a wide smile on his face until he rounded the corner of the building, seeing Judai and the others still looking into the inside of the room, trying to find Natsu. Clearing his throat suddenly, Natsu surprised all four looking through the window, Maaya letting out a large sigh again, leaving first as the others all tried to explain themselves.

"His name is Izanami Morita," Natsu said, looking back inside, the old man able to see him, waving again to him. "His family left him when he was hospitalized after a fall due to his Parkinson's, so I started visiting him when I came back through Nimbasa. Although sometimes, it feels like he helps me more than I help him. He used to be a champion battler in his younger days. His Venusaur still lives with him in the senior center, but never leaves the room, just hoping for another chance to battle with somebody. Jii-chan is always worried that he'll hurt himself too much if he does that, though, so it never happens. Aside from that, we just play chess, and talk to each other," he explained, beginning to walk back down the way towards the school.

"How long does he have?" Jiro asked, Natsu stopping to look back at the building with a depressed sigh. "Not long, then, huh?" he asked, Natsu shaking his head to show that Jiro was, unfortunately right. "Anything that can be done?"

"Make sure he doesn't live with regrets," Natsu said, walking back down towards the school, hoping that he wouldn't have to see the day his friend finally met his end. "I'm sorry, Senpai," he said to Jiro. "You were right, and I was just too blind to see it. I'm going to go to my reunion over the weekend, and I'll be sure to make a bunch of good memories that I never was able to with my old classmates. Thank you for helping me find what I was missing the point of," he said, smiling back to him, the look on his face causing a small twinge in the way that Jiro looked at him, forcing him back.

"_Just remember, Jiro, he's a guy, he's a guy, he's a guy, he's a guy,"_ he kept repeating to himself, looking back at the confused look on Natsu's face. _"HE'S A GUY, YOU IDIOT!"_ he shouted at the top of his lungs in his head, the others looking at him as though he were an open book, Natsu confused as to what he was doing.

* * *

With his room darkened, tapping away at the worn out keys of his laptop, Takeru continued to look back and forth from his screen to the small notepad on the desk directly next to him. Taking a small break, Takeru stretched his back over the back of his chair, hearing a loud popping sound from his spine, letting out a relaxed sigh as he hunched back over towards his computer. Shifting his eyes in one direction for a single second, Takeru was forced to push his chair away from the laptop staring at him, closing it instantly before hearing the door to his room swing open, two of his upperclassmen looking into his room, noticing Mothim about to run into one of them, forcing them to close the door. At the sound of his pokémon slamming against the door, and slowly sliding down it, Kaname reopened the door, Sienna behind him, both looking down at Takeru with an expectant look in their eyes.

"Well, to what do I owe this honor, president?" he asked Kaname, looking off to the side to see Sienna. "I must say it's rare to see you coming around to my neck of the woods. You guys need me to do something for you, don't you?" he asked, Sienna walking past him, placing a small disc into her computer.

"Tell me what you see," she almost ordered, Takeru turning around, repositions his cap as he glued his eyes to the screen, widening his eyes to make note of everything.

"Interesting," was all he had to say, watching the playback of the battle between Natsu and Gabriel from earlier in the week. "It would appear that throughout this, Volantis was merely trying to teach Natsu about how to battle against rock types due to Lampent's weakness to said type. Explaining everything to him as though some kind of teacher for the young lad. I still have my doubts on his gender, I'll have you know," he began saying, both of his upperclassmen giving him a cross look, forcing him back to the screen. "Wait, what was that?" he asked, noticing a small flicker in the video footage, the video suddenly going blank.

"That's what we want you to find out," Kaname answered. "Reproductions of these battle files are prohibited outside of the school, and this one was found in the hands of one Aki Kobayashi. She lives about four miles from the main school grounds, sixteen years old, currently on trainer's leave. She's supposed to be going to some kind of party tonight for an old class of hers before her trainer's leave, and we were hoping that you could give us some insight as to what she might want with something like this before she has the chance to go. Chances are it'll be connected to either of the battlers, so that should narrow your findings."

"To about a million different variables," Takeru said. "But I welcome the challenge," he said, beginning to watch through the video again before Sienna and Kaname both left his room.

"You think we can trust him?" Sienna asked, Kaname simply walking down the hallways of the dorm building. "If the headmistress is right, and this has something to do with Kohashigawa's old class reunion at the end of the week, it might mean that we'll have a big political mess on our hands. I don't think it's such a good idea to let Takeru-kun have all the information, we need to do some digging too."

"By having Takeru-kun look at that tape we can already infer one thing," Kaname said, rounding the corner towards the stairs. "He's already doing research on one of the people in that video. Gabriel Volantis is one of the academy's top students in battling, but for some reason, always has a harder time applying class knowledge towards his tests. And then there's Natsu Kohashigawa; a no-name student who walked in a week after classes had started, and already has become one of the most popular students in the school for his looks. Not to mention, he's already proven himself to be a more studious person, knowing formulas in advance math well beyond what a normal person should know after a period of trainer's leave."

"In other words, you're just testing to see how far Takeru-kun would be willing to take his research if the opportunity presents itself?" Sienna asked, Kaname simply nodding. "You know, there is an element in danger in all of this, though. When you force Takeru-kun's hand, he does have more than just that spastic idiot of a Mothim, you know. He comes from a world that's much too hard for others to understand."

"We all have secrets, Sienna," Kaname said, passing by the still broken security gate. "What we choose to keep secret is what makes us either the strongest of who we are, or sometimes the weakest, and if we have any chance of learning more about those two students in particular, I'd be willing to keep it a secret from anyone else, no matter whether it makes me weaker or stronger. It'll be cut and dry when finally finish this off," he said, looking back towards the top floor where the light from Takeru's laptop still burned through the curtains.

"_Heh,"_ Takeru said, looking through the curtains at a glance from where he sat. _"Giving me this information so passively is like giving a map of vital signs to a serial killer. Anything I find can be kept secret so easily, and from the way we're all able to keep secrets so easily from each other, not even the Reaper himself would be able to pry any information from my lips, even if he were to use my one weakness against me. Nothing he can do can keep me from using the information I now have against anybody, or use it to protect them."_

* * *

"Now's not the time to be so nervous, Natsu-kun," June said, keeping a tight grip around Natsu's waist and upper body as Maaya began opening and closing a pair of scissors in front of his head, a sadistic smile beginning to appear on her face. "We're just going for the bangs, you know. We promise not to cut off any more of your soft hair, okay?" she asked, her ghostly pale eyes looking down at Natsu's head, staring dreamily at the long strands as Maaya grabbed him underneath the chin, chuckling maniacally as she pointed the scissors directly at him, as though she were ready to stab him head on. "That's not helping, Maaya-chan," June said, able to figure out how Maaya was acting from the way Natsu cowered at the sight of her.

"Oh, come on, this stupid kid has been causing me grief since he came here, I'm going to be enjoying every second of this," she said. "You sure we can't cut more off. Does it have to just be his bangs? I think he would look better bald, even. What do you say?"

"I say he looks better with long hair, but we need to make sure his eyes are visible so everyone can see that hypnotic color of the irises," Mika said, lifting up Natsu's bangs to stare directly into his sky blue eyes. "We have to make sure that those people were right to remember our little friend," she explained, the adjective not sounding very convincing given her own height.

"Fine," Maaya said, letting out an exasperated sigh, making a quick slice across the ends of Natsu's front strands of hair, his eyes now completely visible to everybody looking at him, with the obvious exception of June. "You can fix him up however you want now," she said, sticking the scissors in the wall of the ghost dorm, Koichi watching from the sidelines going into shock right before fainting in a heap next to Judai, Jiro, and Gabriel, all watching the other girls help Natsu get ready for his party…no matter how much he might have fought them on the subject.

"I take it the bangs thing was Mika-senpai's idea?" Judai asked, both of his male upperclassmen nodding in unison. "Uh-huh, somethin' tells me that when my bro comes out of this, he ain't exactly gonna look the same dependin' on who has the most say in what the heck is goin' on," he said, several images of different outcomes for what might happen to him coming into his head…none of them without being disconcerting.

"So, we've fixed up his hair, now what?" Mitsu asked, looking down at Natsu who was probably catatonic by this point, simply shivering from being this close to so many people. "Maybe we can do something with his clothes. You know, make him look more refined," she said, reaching for the corner of his blazer, Maaya's ear perking up again as she turned around, again with the demonic grin stretching across her face, Amira quickly backing away with her notebook reading, "too scary," notable trembling in the way she wrote it.

"If you want to change his clothes, leave that to me," she said, cracking her knuckles, Natsu cringing again, June finding her grip lost in one moment before she knew what happened. "This is gonna be fun," Maaya said, throwing Natsu behind a screen, their silhouettes still visible from behind it. "No point in fighting me, kid, besides I think you'll find this to be more appropriate with that face of yours," she said, Judai, Jiro, and Gabriel all leaning over off to one side, to stare at the screen…quickly wishing they hadn't.

Giving the nature of the shadows, there were several things that could've been going on behind it…none of which being too pleasant to repeat, simply seeing what looked like Maaya wrestling Natsu to the ground, pinning him down on his stomach. Even after looking away, everybody in the room, girls included, could hear the yelps from Natsu as well as the maniacal laughter of his victimizer, so to speak. After about four minutes of said struggle, everything ceased, the seven people turning towards the screen one more time. All they could see was Maaya's silhouette, holding up a limp mass, most likely Natsu's corpse, everybody letting out a silent shriek of terror as Maaya simply threw him over the top of the makeshift dressing room, landing him safely on one of the sofas.

Natsu was frozen, whether it be literal or figuratively, shivering in his place as he stayed hunched over in a formal sitting position, the others in the room walking towards him from behind as Maaya simply leaned back against the wall, pulling the scissors from before out of it, waiting to see their reaction. Her wait wasn't long as she looked over towards the scene with the several people surrounding him, one of them, Jiro specifically, instantly fainting, his face red with embarrassment. She walked back over to see the other reactions to what she did to Natsu, and found most of them were surprised.

"I never thought that seein' my bro in a skirt would be so natural," Judai said, looking down at Natsu, wearing a generic school uniform, the skirt going down just above the knee. "It's sad to say that as a guy, he actually looks almost more natural like this," he said, Natsu simply falling limp against the couch at the sound of that last comment.

"I think he looks kinda cuter that way, good job, Maaya-chan!" Mika said, Maaya sneering down at Natsu, who simply looked back around to her, tears in the pockets of his eyes making even Judai a little shaking in the footing. "We could easily turn this one into a net idol if somebody goes to get a camera," she said, both her and Maaya about to run off, had Mitsu not grabbed them both by the collar first.

"I think you took that too far, don't you think, Amira-san?" she asked, the dark skinned girl simply looked down at Natsu, her eyes completely locked onto his body figure, and the look in his own eyes, making a sudden blush come about her face. "Am I the only one here that thinks he need to get him out of these clothes as fast as possible?" she asked disgruntled, June finding her way over to sofa, picking up Natsu's head so it rested on her lap.

"Probably," she answered, stroking the top of Natsu's head, the latter still embarrassed beyond what was regular. "Don't tell me you don't think he looks cute the way he is now. I can tell you're taking notes on how slim Natsu's body is, and that maybe you might be considering a diet," she said with a smile, Natsu already trying to leave, something June wasn't willing to allow given how close the two currently were to each other, Mitsu blushing slightly before looking away to deny it. "Besides, who's gonna know besides us?" she asked, the door to the ghost dorm sliding open, Kaname, Sienna, and Takeru all walking in, seeing Natsu in his current attire, shock coming across all of their faces as Takeru's eyes were finally the most focused they had been, not taking them off of where Natsu was lying down.

"I was smart to be skeptical of your gender, kid," he said, Natsu bolting from where he was lying down, and over back behind the screen, quickly replacing his clothes with his normal set, walking back out with a relieved sigh. "I'm still gonna right it down as a possibility."

"Hmm, too bad we couldn't have been here longer to see that?" Sienna said quietly, her own cheeks having a tint of red on them.

"You say something?" Kaname asked, Sienna instantly straightening back up.

"Nothing," she immediately answered, clearing her throat before walking into the dorm building. "I take it you girls are getting him ready for that reunion thing tonight? From the looks of it, though, you were having more fun playing dress-up with him."

"Can you blame us?" Mika asked, Natsu stepping back a few feet back towards the wall. "Too bad we couldn't have seen you in those clothes for any longer. That would have made us a fortune throughout this school," she said, Natsu's mood not exactly growing any brighter from said comment. "The most we could actually get him to agree to was trimming those bangs of his. So at least his old friends can actually see those alluring eyes."

"I'm startin' to see why he was hidin' them," Judai whispered to Gabriel, both chuckling to themselves. "Here's what I'm wonderin', though; where in the heck did ya get one of those uniforms from, senpai? Ya carry that stuff with ya all the time?"

"Nah, I found it in the closet towards the very back room," Maaya said, everybody leaning over to face inside the hallway, Natsu already knowing the room at the far end was Koichi's. "It fit the little twerp a bit too perfectly, so I think that this old man already had this planned for him in advanced. More than a little disturbing," she said as Natsu began walking up the stairs towards Koichi's room, Lampent following after him. Saying two inaudible words, Natsu began walking back, Lampent staying behind for only a minute, releasing a blast of fire into Koichi's room, floating back with Maaya looking at both of them surprised. "That was…mildly impressive, I must say."

"Dang, bro, never knew ya had it in ya!" Judai congratulated, Natsu just glad to have every possible outfit Koichi possibly had in there was gone…for now. "Just hope that this guy don't wake up before ya leave tonight," he said, knowing the exact reaction Koichi would have after seeing the state of his room. "Well, after that display, you three got any ideas?" he asked the upperclassmen, both Takeru and Kaname both without a single thought on the subject, Sienna, however, walking forward, and grabbing Natsu by the back of his collar, dragging him back up the stairs, and tossing him into his room, her Vibrava following behind, closing the door.

"I'll be right back," she said, leaving what was going to happen up to the imagination; hopefully. "Now, let's get started," she said cheerfully, holding out her hands as the only sounds the others heard from Natsu were along the lines of, "Oh boy."

* * *

From the lack of sounds from the other side of the door, either Sienna had taped Natsu's mouth shut, or wasn't being as unreasonable as Maaya was, walking out about fifteen minutes later, a satisfied smile on her face. As Sienna motioned towards the door, the other dorm heads all looked in to see Natsu straightening up a red neck tie, now wearing a black and grin pinstriped dress shirt with the ends of the sleeves rolled up to his wrist, still wearing his normal jeans, and shoes. While the reaction wasn't the same as when he was dressed as a girl, the others, even Maaya, had to admit it made him seem a bit more refined than just about every other guy in the room currently, granted two were still incapacitated.

"I just figured that if you're trying to make him look good, you have to accentuate the qualities that make him seem more appealing," Sienna said. "He obviously looks better in darker colors because of his pokémon, and his short stature makes it easy to make him look more relaxed, but somewhat formal in a dress shirt about a sixe or two bigger than him. The tie, I think, just adds a little something," she explained as Natsu walked out of the room, still standing shorter than just about everyone, waiting for their reaction to how Sienna had him fixed up for later.

"I still think he looks more natural in a skirt," Maaya said, walking back down the stairwell, the others giving their own compliments as Lampent followed after his trainer, bowing to Sienna in thanks.

"Thanks, Senpai," Natsu said, bowing to her in the same way his pokémon did, walking back down to the main lobby, and towards the front door. "I guess I'll see you guys a little later tonight, huh?" he said, the others waving to him passively as Natsu disappeared behind the door only for a second before everybody converged at the center coffee table, including Jiro, finally having regained his consciousness.

"We're goin' to spy on him, right?" Judai asked, all of them nodding once. _"Nobody's going to ruin my plans for him to get with Amira-senpai. Especially some old flame from six years ago,"_ he said, everybody else having their own agendas obviously as they all waited for Natsu to disappear from view before they all filed out, leaving Koichi still lying on the ground, but now conscious.

"They forgot about me again…," he stated, letting out a depressed sigh as he looked back up at the gaping hole from the scissors in the wall, losing his consciousness yet again.

* * *

Sitting on one of the benches of the subway leading back into the main square of Nimbasa, Natsu looked back up at Lampent, wondering if the pokémon was curious about several of his classmates, wondering if there was going to be a specific person there, mostly by the way he continually messed with his own hands, shuffling them back and forth. Floating back down to the same level as his trainer, Lampent looked up at the nervous eyes on Natsu's face beginning to soften as the underground train came to a stop. As the two left the car, Lampent left last, his attention caught by a sudden movement downward from the window leading to another car.

"You coming?" Natsu asked, the ghost and fire type floating back forward out of the train car, Judai lifting his head up from the other side, signaling to leave the train, knowing that the proverbial coast was clear. "I wonder how many people are actually gonna show up to this little party. My class had about thirty five people in total, so it'll be pretty full. Although, I'm wondering why they had us all bring our first pokémon. Hopefully they won't make us battle," he said, his lack of confidence forcing a lecturing look from his partner. "Can't blame a guy for hoping."

Walking out of the subway station completely, Natsu continued to walk down the darkened streets of Nimbasa, still unaware of the eleven other people following him by a cool distance of at least twenty feet, Lampent looking behind only slightly, so as not to alert them, sighing to itself quietly, looking ahead, probably about to tell Natsu about them, but found they had already reached their destination. Nobody was coming in or out, but according to the invitation, the party should have started about five minutes ago, so he walked in, handing his invitation to one of the ushers outside the main ballroom, and was quickly led inside. Following directly after, the others walked up to the usher, who held his hand out for their invitations.

"I knew this wasn't gonna be as easy as you were making it out to be, Ryuzaki," Maaya hissed, Judai trying to find a way out. "Why don't you just try it the conventional way?" she asked, snapping her finger with Hitmonchan extending one of its fists towards the man in the red uniform, but found that it was blocked with a single palm from the man. "This isn't gonna end well, is it?" she asked, the usher shaking his head, removing his jacket, revealing an incredibly muscular build, cracking his knuckles before clenching one of his fists.

"See, this is the part where we run," Jiro said, as all eleven quickly took his advice, despite the usher not allowing them to escape that easily, Natsu barely able to make out what had just happened, having turned around just long enough to see the usher take off after something, leaving his jacket at the front desk.

"What do you think happened?" he asked, Lampent having witnessed everything, but unwilling to comment. "Well, let's see if this was really supposed to happen," he said, pushing open one of the double doors, the entire room, darkened to his, and Lampent's liking, but was quickly launched back from the quick flash of light as the room was illuminated.

"WELCOME BACK, NATSU-KUN!" a loud chorus of people about the same age as Natsu shouted at him, Natsu still reeling from the bright flash of light, temporarily blinded from the surprise. As he was finally able to open his eyes, without complication, Natsu found the entirety of the ballroom intricately decorated, Lampent almost disgusted by how it was set up.

"Guess Jiro-senpai and Jii-chan were right all along," Natsu said to his pokémon, who was still retching from the light atmosphere of the room, trying to hide from everything as two of the other participants walked up to Natsu, and helped him to his feet.

"Good to see you again, bud," one of the two said, leading him towards one of the tables. "I'm sure you remember this young lady, right?" he asked, the two male students holding out their hands towards a young woman, average height, average figure, but hair matching Natsu's in the top color, reaching down to her waist. "May we present, Miss Aki Kobayashi," he said, the girl standing up, giving a small curtsy to Natsu as he bowed in reintroduction, so to speak, surprised to see how some of his classmates had changed.

"I'm glad I could see you again, Natsu-chan," Aki said with a pleasant smile, Natsu not exactly sure how to respond, but sat down at the same table, Lampent looking at the Purrloin sitting in her lap with caution, and then back up at the woman, instantly connecting with his trainer, almost too quickly.

* * *

Back outside the convention center, Judai and the others had finally managed to lose the beefed up usher, panting wildly as they tried to circle around the back, at least hoping to find some way of seeing the inside of what was going on, and maybe finding Natsu.

"Well that was fun," Maaya said disgruntled. "Next time when we go out, let's get chased by a pack of Mightyena, we might leave with less bruises," she to Judai, who wasn't really listening, simply trying to peer into one of the windows of the convention center into the ballroom, hoping to find at least a trace of Natsu.

"So, out of curiosity, why do you three come down to the ghost dorm, anyway?" Mitsu asked Kaname, Sienna, and Takeru, the final member of that trio already sitting on one of the park benches his laptop placed next to him.

"Something came up having to do with Natsu-kun's party today, so we wanted to make sure that he knew what to expect when he went tonight. It took a couple days for Takeru-kun to notice something in the video we showed him, but we think that we can effectively figure some things out from it," Sienna explained. "If you will, Takeru-kun," she said, Takeru placing his computer on his lap, bringing up the video of both Natsu and Gabriel battling.

"There are certain places where there are freezes in the discs hardware during the recorded battle, and when you look at them, it just seems like random chance occurrences," Takeru explained, looking up from the laptop, turning it around to show it to the others. "But when you notice certain things about each momentary pause stuck in the disc, you find a specific pattern," he said, bringing up snapshots of each of the different frozen frames. "All of them have some kind of central image of Natsu-kun, whether the camera angle be from the ground, above, or even from the side. To record battles for educational use, the school has them set form these three different viewpoints, allowing whoever watches them to understand how battles work in a more intricate fashion. Whoever was watching this would continually pause on certain parts where Natsu-kun was completely visible, and continually stopping them for long periods of time cause a break in the discs hard drive, making it pause based on default when reaching these points."

"So somebody has an unnatural thing for the twerp, so what?" Maaya asked, Gabriel looking more closely at the video.

"You said that this video had something to do with the reunion Natsu's at right now, didn't you?" he asked as all three involved in the investigation, so to speak, nodded. "Maaya-san, what if the person who had this video also is at this party. A person that close to their object of affection will instantly lash out at him if given the opportunity. Having built up such an attraction to him, this person may be willing to do whatever it would take for this to work out between them."

"That might be harder than ya think to find out, guys," Judai said, both he and Jiro peering into the window at the reunion party, a large banner broadcasting Natsu's name. "Looks like this party was designed to help my bro reintegrate back into his old class from six years ago. Any one of them coulda been the one to steal that video."

"We already know who it is; we just need to make sure that Natsu-kun stays away from them at all costs," Kaname said. "A girl named Aki Kobayashi was the one to be in possession of the video, and is the entire reason that we're even here. If she makes a move towards Natsu, it's merely a simple operation of getting her as far away before she can even try anything. She's been studying with medicinal herbs to dilute the affects of alcohol with her parents at their winery since going on trainer's leave, so you can bet she has some on her right now. One sip of straight sake and Natsu-kun's going out like a light. We merely needed this guy to figure out what she was doing with the video, and if there was anything we needed to be worried about."

"Um, I think Amira-chan wants to say something," Mika said, pointing over towards Amira's notebook, something troubling written on the page.

"_Does this Aki girl have long, tan hair, and owns a Purrloin?"_ the notebook read, Kaname nodding once, already knowing the situation. _"Because she's walking out with Natsu-kun, right now,"_ she quickly wrote, pointing up at the balcony connected to the ballroom, Aki leading Natsu outside to the connected platform, Judai and the others quickly ducking under it.

"_If this little nobody is the one that ruins my plans for bro's and Amira's relationship, she will meet my raging fury,"_ Judai said to himself vengefully, both he and Monferno burning with anger of the thought, quickly piping down after realizing something. _"Aki was the name of the girl that bro had a crush on, I'm pretty sure. If nothin' ever come of that crush, does that mean that this lady developed a thin' for him after all this time, or was it always the other way around, and it was her who like bro, and nothin' ever came of it 'cause of his own cowardice with girls? Now it's startin' to make more sense. Be strong, brother!"_

* * *

"It's really nice to see you again after all this time, Natsu-chan," Aki said from above, the honorific usage almost striking Judai like lightning. "I have to tell you that it was a real shock when you stopped coming to school that day. Everybody was sure you were gonna be top of the class when it came time for final exams, you were kinda mean not to tell us where you were going."

"No offense, but I don't think it would have mattered to anybody either way," Natsu replied. "Half of that class didn't know I existed, and the other half made it seem like they didn't want to admit I existed."

"That half was all the girls that were jealous of you being cuter than them," Aki said back, her Purrloin jumping down from her arms, and onto the railing of the balcony, Lampent still floating behind Natsu's shoulder. "A lot of people in our class thought you were really cute, and it looks like you haven't changed a bit since then. Your hair is still long and soft, your face is always so pale and smooth, and you heart always beats faster whenever someone like me comes near it," she said, pressing her finger to Natsu's left chest. "Of course, I thought you were the cutest one of all, girl or boy, so that's why it didn't matter to me, and I just wanted to be your friend. Don't you remember all the times we played together?"

"No," Natsu answered blankly, leaning over the edge of the railing, looking out. "You avoided me just like everybody else for the entirety I was at that school," he explained, Aki's face beginning to dim as she took a step back. "During the last week I attended school was when I started noticing the way you looked at me. But you never approached me with anything. Never even a letter telling me to meet you somewhere."

"I was the only one," Aki said almost directly after, Natsu turning around at her. "I was the only one who could recognize you at first glance as a boy, and I thought you could tell that from the way I always looked at you. But like a boy, you were too dense to know it. Everyone knows that the boy is supposed to make the first move, and because you didn't I spent all these years trying to find you, and find a way to bring us back together, so you could do it right that time around. Then I just got tired of waiting; so I used this as a way to get you out here."

"So nobody else from our old class did want anything to do with me," he said, looking even more depressed as he sat up onto the edge of the balcony. "Even after all these years I'll never be recognized by anyone from my past but you," he said, angling his head down with a depressed smile on his face. "You know, when I walked in that room, and everybody said my name like they actually remembered me, I was hoping to have been proven wrong by all my friends."

"_You_ have friends?" Aki asked, not having a lot of confidence in her voice. "So what was so different about your classmates like me who really did care about you, and these so-called friends?" she asked. "I know you too well, I know you can't talk to people without stuttering but me," she said accusingly, the eleven people down below depressed by the fact she was right.

"Maybe," Natsu began. "But even if I can't talk to them that well, it hasn't stopped them from trying. Each of them is different in their own way, and each one has their own way of trying to get me to become stronger. I've found a new best friend I can talk to about all my problems, I have a person who's willing to teach me when I don't understand something, two people who watch my progress, and are always willing to help, another who always makes me laugh, one who kinda scares me, but I know she has a good heart, one who can take care of me, another who can find the good in me even when I can't see it, one who is willing to learn from me as well as teach, another who shows me how weaknesses can be strengths, and maybe even a person I could grow to love; the same way you love me," he said, scratching the back of his neck, seeing the anger within Aki beginning to well up.

"There's nobody who could ever love you the way I do," she declared, her Purrloin tensing up as it jumped from the railing back to its trainer, hissing as it looked at Lampent. "Your family wouldn't even love you. Your sister just monopolized you as though you were another one of her toys, and now you think that another person could ever feel the same way that I feel about you. I will never accept anybody getting close to my Natsu-chan!"

"At the school I go to, half of the girls I've met so far have been as taken as you are with the way I look," Natsu said, turning around towards the night sky, the reunion party going on behind them, not even recognizing the two. "And yet, there's at least one that I hope could ever see me in a light where it isn't about how I look, and more about who I am inside. Everybody thinks that they know who I truly am, but nobody could ever understand who I am underneath what they see. And that's why I could never fall in love with the same person who believes that she's the only one to look at me differently," he said, beginning to walk away, Aki looking as though she were going to burst into tears, her face buried in her hands, her face trembling.

As Natsu walked past her, he quickly felt his hand being grabbed from behind, pushing him over to the edge of the balcony, pressing his stomach against the stone railing. Hearing the cap of a bottle open up behind him, a distinct odor coming from the top, Natsu instantly recognized the smell of freshly brewed rice wine. Struggling as hard as he could against Aki's grip, Natsu felt the end of the bottle being placed into his mouth, the liquid contents unloading into his mouth, the pinching of his nose forcing it down his throat. Coughing violently after he was released, Natsu held himself up against the railing, feeling the alcohol travelling through his system, his body instantly heating up, and then cooling down rapidly. As he began to lose his balance, his face completely red from the alcohol, Natsu fell back into Aki's grip, the young woman stroking his head like some kind of pet. Seeing Lampent aim directly for her, Aki motioned for Purrloin to attack, the feline quickly slashing across the ghost type's body, launching it over towards the ground in front of the other dorm heads. Weakly trying to lift itself back up, Lampent felt a hand against it leading to Monferno.

"We're goin' to help, Lampent," Judai said, all of the dorm heads nodding in their own way, Monferno blasting through to Lampent with its entire body engulfed in flames, the fire and ghost mix absorbing the power with its ability. "Let's go!" he declared, all eleven students scattering out in different directions.

* * *

"_That was too easy,"_ Aki said to herself, dragging Natsu's limp body across the ballroom floor, many of the students only taking a second to look at their past classmates, seeing the red tint all over Natsu's face, making the inference he was drinking. _"And with this, nothing can stop me and Natsu-chan from finally having our happily ever after. I'll be sure to take good care of you," _she said, about to walk through the front door, seeing two people leaning against the beams of the door on the outside.

"You have something that belongs in our care," Jiro said, Bibarel at his side, chattering angrily at the girl holding onto Natsu's body possessively. "Do this peacefully, and you may not have to get hurt. It'd be a shame to hurt such a pretty girl."

"'Sides, I don't think my bro is really up for that kind of relationship," Judai said, Monferno slamming its fist into its palm. "I suggest you take my senpai's advice."

"Please, like there are enough of you to cover every exit," Aki said, turning around to the back door, finding Gabriel and Takeru standing at it, Archen and Mothim both flapping madly behind them, forcing her to turn to the balcony, Maaya and Mitsu guarding it with both Hitmonchan and Glaceon glaring at the girl. "What is this?" she asked, turning back around to the windows, June and Sienna standing at one with Lairon and Vibrava staring her down, the last exit, a maintenance door, covered by Kaname and Mika, Sableye and Ledian sneering at their opponent. "Who are all you people!?" she asked, the other members of her past class looking around at each of them.

"T-They're my friends," Natsu said, still not feeling so steady from the alcohol. "They're not the type to just give up without a fight, and that's why I love them more than I could ever love anyone from my past," he said, Aki easing him to the ground, snapping her fingers, many of the male students answering her call.

"Take care of them," she commanded, all ten of the security guards she had enlisted going after one of the dorm heads from Natsu's school. "Now, back to what I was taking care of," she said, looking down, seeing Amira trying to pick Natsu up, his breathing still labored, and his feet still unstable. "So there was one more," she said, noticing the blush on Amira's face as she faced away from her, Natsu facing Amira, noticing that she was trying to shield him. "I-It's you…You're the one who's keeping him from coming to me. Purrloin, take her out!" she commanded, Amira clutching onto Natsu a bit tighter, saying something quickly under her breath, Natsu able to feel the trembling in her grip from her fear of touching others. "End her now!" Aki shouted, Purrloin's claws about to reach Amira, but was instantly cut off by an upward kick from Kirlia, the psychic pokémon keeping the pose for several seconds, it's legs almost at an one hundred eighty degree angle.

"Hypnosis," Amira said, barely audible, even to Natsu despite the close proximity, but Kirlia was able to hear it just fine, kicking Purrloin back into the air, looking at it directly in the eye, sending the hypnotic waves from its eyes into the opponents.

After staring into Kirlia's eyes for no more than a few seconds, Purrloin instantly fell asleep, Aki watching as her pokémon hit the ground with a crash resounding throughout the entire ballroom. As she turned around to look at the male students she had sent out against the others, she found they had all been as quickly defeated.

"W-Who are you people?" she asked.

"Like I said," Natsu started, leaving Amira's grip, letting her breathe a bit easier, no longer having to touch him. "They're my friends. And they're the one thing left in this world that I'll have that you may never have unless you live your life away from mine. You wasted six years of your life on a person who would never come, and for that, I'm truly sorry," he said, making a low bow to her. "But these people taught me that unless effort is put into what a person desires, it soon becomes their biggest regret," he said, looking over at Jiro who gave him a thumbs up. "You should have done something for me to notice, and then you wouldn't have become like this. Will you please let us help you?" he asked, holding his hand out hesitantly.

"_It looks like you were right all along, Sienna,"_ Kaname said, watching Aki reach out for Natsu's hand. _"He's not a fighter of the body, but has a stronger heart than any of us. No wonder so many people have come to look at him with those same eyes, and now it looks like that heart is able to save those who are lost in their way,"_ he said, seeing Aki pull down on Natsu, forcing him back down to the ground, sitting on top of him, pinning him down on the ground.

"I guess if you ask me to find a way to live without you, I'll have to try it," she said, bringing her head down to his. "But at least give me a going away present," she quietly, her lips touching up against Natsu's, every eye in the ballroom quickly turning over towards them, freezing in place from the sight. The two stayed that way for several seconds, Aki eventually bringing her head back up, letting out a deep breath. "That'll do for now," she said, getting off of Natsu, walking towards the door. "I'll be sure to meet up with you again someday, Natsu-chan," she said playfully, Natsu, Judai, Amira, and the other dorm heads completely shocked at what just happened, Natsu's face completely red, Lampent floating just above him, looking downward so its eyes were parallel to his, the comparison between the two being too much for Natsu.

Disappearing with a trail of smoke coming from the top of his head, Natsu ran out towards the balcony, his breathing incredibly labored, and filled with Aki's mixed breath.

"_Somethin' tells me that gettin' him together with Amira-senpai is gonna be harder than I thought,"_ Judai said, looking at Natsu as he kept looking over the edge of the balcony, looking as though he were considering jumping from it. _"Well, at least I know that there ain't gonna be a shortage of fun times with this kid, no matter what. Let's keep havin' these adventures, bro. What d'ya say?"_

* * *

Character Appearances:

Natsu Kohashigawa: Lampent & Golett. NightFall00

Judai Ryuzaki: Monferno & Torkoal. Jexo

Jiro Matsushita: Bibarel, other Pokémon TBA. Goldenfeatherkyru

Maaya Yoshida: Hitmonchan & Hitmonlee. emmausgirl94

Amira Khumalo: Kirlia & Duosion. FlyPandaBear

Mika Saito: Ledian, other Pokémon TBA. Cyanide the Sneasel

Kaname Misaki: Sableye, other Pokémon TBA. Ariesbird

Sienna Smith: Vibrava, other Pokémon TBA. Fluttersong

Takeru Sanjero: Mothim, other Pokémon TBA. Moth's Aflame

June Kurosaki: Lairon, other Pokémon TBA. Lady Island Rose

Mitsuta "Mitsu" Ichihana: Glaceon, other Pokémon TBA. Crossroader32

Gabriel Volantis: Archen, other Pokémon TBA. WereDragon EX

* * *

Notes:

Nothing this time, sorry.

* * *

Chapter five complete. That took way too much longer than it was supposed to, so sorry about that, for those of you that really do like this story. I know I said I wanted to get more into other characters, but I had to set the stage a bit, and have a chapter that was about a little bit of Natsu's past, since that hasn't really been touched upon. But I do have plans for chapters, currently, on Maaya, Judai, and Amira so far, and am just trying to figure out what I can do for the others. Hopefully you enjoyed my story, and whether you did or not, let me know how you feel about the story itself in the review section because all fanfic writers love reviews. Well, I finally got a job, so I won't be able to write as much anymore, but I only work 12 hours a week, so it's not like it's that time consuming. Either way, this is NightFall, saying until we meet again, ja nee.


	7. The Truth in Danger

Hey, guys, I'm back with the next chapter of HDD, and like always, I really like writing this story, probably because it has the most humor implemented into it, whereas my other stories are more serious minded. Not that it's a bad thing, but I can't help but grin every time I read over some of my chapter while I'm writing them, which is, in my opinion, one of the most rewarding feelings you can have as a writer. So, like I said last time, I'm going to start putting more emphasis on the different characters aside from Natsu, while still having him as the center character. It won't be so much about him, but have more to do with at least one of the other dorm heads. This time around we get a bit more into our friend with the real twang. That's right, we gonna be having some fun with Judai today, folks. This is a chapter I originally had planned out for the later parts of the story, but I mixed it around so that I could work it in with Judai. Enjoy.

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN POKÉMON, BECAUSE IF I DID, GHOSTS AND DRAGONS WOULD NOT BE WEAK TO THEMSELVES.**

* * *

Chapter 6: The Truth in Danger

Have you ever wondered if something in your life was missing? As though there were a gaping hole in your soul because life just doesn't excite you as much anymore? Many people often feel as though their life has no meaning, and therefore reason that if there were no "them", the world around them wouldn't even notice it. Sadly, this is sometimes true. Too often people who are alone are seen as just that, and other people themselves can't help but feel that if they didn't exist the world around them wouldn't change in any grandioso way. Suicide is something that most people contemplate, risking their lives so that they can feel the burn of excitement for one final time so that there life can end without any regret, or feelings of emptiness. Other people, who do this, simply are no longer intrigued by the complexity of life, believing they've seen it all, and must experience this rush so as to keep their interest. And for the case of one person, his interest in danger is enough to get him killed, but with things the way they are, he can't help but feel that there is another out there who still needs him to stay alive.

* * *

Sighing with a depressed tone of voice, Judai looked at the different aisles of food items with a blank stare, his expression telling just about everyone, including Natsu he was bored out of his skull. Natsu simply looked back at him with a nervous grin, going back to some of the items on a list given to both of them by Koichi. With his hands stuffed inside his pocket, Judai kept looking back and forth from the different rows of refrigerated goods, noticing Natsu always crouching down as low as he could, grabbing the same item he could have, if from the center.

"I swear, bro, you're worse than an old lady when buying food," he said, several withered eyes turning to him in spite. "What's the difference if ya get one from the bottom, and not one from where it's easier to grab it from? See, this is why old people have back problems; too much time going for the stuff on the bottom of the shelf."

"It's a psychology deal," Natsu said, shuffling through a long row of dairy products. "Grocery stores will usually put the name brand items in the center of the rack because that's where people look first, and for those people who prefer to get things done faster, they simply grab the first thing they see. The ones on the bottom are generic brand items; ones made from the store's manufacturers themselves, and are a lot cheaper in comparison. But because the big name brands always put down the most money for their placement in the stores, the generic brands will always be put on the bottom. People who prefer to save their money will always go down lower so they can get the cheaper items."

"Seriously, we get away from the school so we can get that teacher's stuff, and ya turn it into a lesson all on its own; I'm losin' ya to the world of extreme couponin'!" Judai said dramatically. "I don't know if I can take havin' to watch it."

"I'm not trying to be excessively frugal, I just don't want to spend more if I really don't have to," Natsu said, walking back through the aisle out towards the checkout lines, Lampent following after him both Monferno and Judai walking behind drearily. "Besides, sensei said he was gonna have to stay late at work, so we need to make sure that there's enough for the two of us while I'm still living in the dorm. I owe him this much."

"_I don't even think I have the heart to him that that idiot is only makin' him do this so he can resupply on those outfits he got for my bro,"_ Judai said, a small smile running across his face, knowing he would eventually have the last laugh. _"I guess until then, I have to endure the fact that when it comes to livin' by yourself, bro has me beat in at least ten different ways. Knowin' the psychology of how people figure out food decisions, and all that shows he's definitely got a good head on his shoulders. Good thin' Amira-senpai has a thing for those with the brain."_

* * *

Walking past the end of the checkout line, Natsu held both bags in his hands, the school only about a fifteen minute walk from where both he and Judai were right then. Giving off another sigh of boredom, Judai looked from side to side, trying to find something to occupy his mind after suffering through this increased lack of excitement. Finally tuning behind him, beginning to walk backwards with his hands up against the back of his neck, Judai looked towards the back alley between the supermarket and another building, a sudden movement catching his eye. Noticing the similar movement of a hat being lowered as a greeting, Judai's eyes had already sparked interest as he stopped walking, Natsu turning around at the change in atmosphere.

"Judai?" he asked. "Everything okay, or is there something you're not telling me?"

"Nah, bro, it's nothin'," Judai lied turning back towards his friend as he began stepping backwards, back towards the market. "Just remembered, though, there was somethin' I needed back there, so I'll catch up with ya later. Ya go on ahead so that that idiot of a teacher ain't left waitin' for his…one hundred percent chocolate bar?" he questioned, looking at the contents of the bag. "I find that hard to believe."

"Actually, those are mine," Natsu said, slightly embarrassed. "I have too big of a sweet tooth as it is, but I still have to satisfy it somehow. You sure you'll be okay by yourself?"

"Sure, I'll use that fancy-shmancy method ya used earlier," Judai answered, obviously mocking Natsu as his classmate left the scene, and rounded the corner back in the direction of the school, Lampent following behind, both Judai and Monferno waving to them, waiting for them to be out of sight. Peering just a bit further forward, Judai sneered mischievously as he and Monferno both ducked over towards the alley way. "I take it back; us taggin' along with him was the perfect idea. We might actually get to see somethin' as excitin' as an illegal dealin'," he whispered, his partner chuckling as it flipped over onto one of the fire escape paths from the building next to the supermarket.

Helping Judai hoist himself up, Monferno quickly ducked downward as Judai led them both down the metal path, quietly sneaking against the wall as far as they could, waiting for the moment they would be directly above the man who removed his hat. He was dressed far too well to be just a local person in the neighborhood, and given the way he had his fedora placed on his head, he was trying to make sure that nobody could recognize him. The flower in the coat pocket may have also helped Judai see him as a definite, professional criminal. The excitement almost too much for Judai to bear, he draped himself over the edge of the railing, waiting for another person to walk anywhere near where the first person was. Judai began looking down at the first man, seeing him reach into his pocket, grabbing a small black comb, removing his hat only for a second to slick his hair back.

"Ooh, this guy is so good," Judai said. "He even makes my spine tingle at the way he combs his hair. This guy is definitely a pro," he said, Monferno shrugging his shoulders at his trainer's excitable behavior, surprised that he was able to conceal himself for this long. "Hey, looks like we got ourselves the client," he said, motioning for the other end of the alleyway; this person was obviously not as prepared for this mentally as the first one was; he hands were shaking, holding a large black briefcase, his eyes trembling, visible from even where Judai stood behind a pair of dark glasses.

"Ya got the money?" the first man asked, adjusting his own sunglasses, the skittish man nodding. "Good, looks like ya saved yourself from a bit of a more serious talk," he said, reaching into his coat pocket, a small roll of film being flicked in the nervous man's direction. "There's plenty more where that one came from, so we'll be doin' this again real soon, I promise ya that."

"Please, leave my company alone!" the man shouted desperately. "Those are all in my past now, I just want to live away from those mistakes!" he said, the man in the suit chuckling s he reached back into his coat, pulling out a cigarette, lighting it almost instantly.

"It's too bad for ya the world don't work like a fairytale," the man said. "Otherwise I might've been able to let a piece of trash like ya go about your merry way. But I guess while ya got some secrets, I can use them as I darn well please," he said, the man in front of him releasing his anger, throwing a single fist towards the professional criminal. "Oh-ho, ya think ya can stop me, huh?" he asked, making only a small motion with his head, a sudden strike to the stomach was all the other man felt before falling to the ground. "In this world, the only power there is are pokémon, and only those with the strongest will ever survive. See ya next pay day, sucker!" he said, letting out a deep laugh as Judai was left wide-eyed from what he had just witnessed, the pokémon that had struck the man coming into full view; Poliwrath.

"_This is crazy,"_ he said to himself, Monferno sharing in his astonishment. _"This is truly thrillin', but at the same time, I can't help but want to help that guy out. Think, Judai, think. Man, why couldn't I have the brains in the family?"_ he asked, not hearing a quiet series of footsteps behind him. _"Although, there does seem to be somethin' I'm forgettin' about these kinds of things. Mafia members normally travel in groups of two, right?" _he questioned, finally hearing the footsteps. "Oh boy," he said, a quick strike against the back of his head was all that he felt before falling to the ground unconscious, Monferno following directly after.

"Next time, watch your surroundings, you idiot!" another man shouted, wearing a similar attire to the man who had almost made it out of the alleyway, seeing Judai's form from where he stood. "Geez, and here I thought that you could handle a deal of your own. Just be grateful I was able to shut this kid up. After all, _the mouth is the origin of disaster_."

"What do we do now, bro?" the other man asked, the one next to Judai hoisting him over his shoulder, a pokémon sharing a similar trait with Monferno picking the fire and fighting type up as well; a Toxicroak.

"Make sure he didn't see anything he wasn't supposed to, and if that's not the case, we find alternative solutions," the man said, jumping down from the fire escape path, landing on the ground without any complication, walking towards a car parked directly at the edge of the alleyway. "I have no problem with a bit more blood on my hands, anyway," he said, binding Judai's wrists and ankles with a roll of duct tape, forcing the button of Monferno's pokéball onto the unconscious pokémon, retreating it to the confines inside. "Let's go."

* * *

Everything about the scenery was black; nothing was there, nothing made a sound, and nothing gave off any kind of feeling. All around there was nothing, retreating back to a single point that couldn't be found…and yet, there was something else that could be felt after what felt like an eternity, or no time at all. A small light swinging back and forth; that's all that was there, a simple light. It was bright, and that's all that mattered, things began to become more apparent around the area, the light acting as a guide out of the unmovable shadows. As the darkness completely melted away, the light, nothing more than a simple light bulb attached to string from the ceiling, helped to show off a lot of different features of the room; first and foremost, it was empty; just the walls, the light, and Judai, opening his eyes completely as he looked around.

"Oh, I knew I'd hate myself for wakin' up today," he said, trying to stand up, noticing his arms had been tied behind his back, a piece of duct tape rolled around his wrists several times, and then around his waist. "Oh, this just keeps gettin' better, don't it?" he said, noticing his ankles were the same way as he placed himself on his back. "And, alley-oop!" he said, swinging his legs over his head, pushing off of the ground so he was in a standing position. "Well that went well," he said, looking back over towards one of the walls where a door stood, no handle or anything to let him out. "Or not," he finished, hearing the door open from the outside, two men, one being the one form before, a well groomed appearance, and the other much taller, a long scar travelling down his face, walking in with a chair, pushing it towards him.

"Sit down," the one with the scar said, Judai hopping on his bound legs towards the chair, pulling it forward with his toes, seating himself. "There are two ways that this can work out, brat. One, you tell was what we want to hear, and everyone goes home without ending up like me," he said, tracing the line of his scar. "Or two, you don't give us the right answer, and I add another felony on my rap sheet. Got it!?" he asked, kicking the wall behind Judai, hoping to intimidate him.

"Sounds like a plan," Judai said. "Not a good one, but a plan, nonetheless. Ya know your stuff, though, I'll give you that much," he said, his lack of fear not exactly amusing the taller male. "So, what are ya guys, some kind of vast organized crime syndicate like Team Rocket or Team Plasma? Or ya guys just low-lives like in those old yakuza movies?" he asked, the shorter man losing his temper already.

"Get this straight, you little-!" he began shouting before being cut off by his superior.

"You got a good head on those shoulders, kid," he said, Judai shrugging his shoulders. "It'd be a shame if I had to separate those two parts of your body," he said, holding up a long hunting knife to Judai's jugular vein. "But if you must know, we've been around for much longer than those creeps in costumes. We don't bother with world domination or some random garbage like that. We focus on what gets us the most money. We're not gonna sell ourselves out to media just yet, but you may be just the thing we need for now to show people not to mess with real criminals."

"So, no catchy name?" Judai asked, both of the members freezing in place out of sheer anger. "I think it does tend to help people cower in fear of ya more, though. I mean how many times have ya heard, 'Run! It's Team Rocket,' as opposed to, 'Run! It's those random guys in suits?'" he asked, the shorter about to attack him, but got beaten to the punch, literally, by his partner.

"You think we're being funny here, you little brat?" he asked, grabbing Judai up by the collar. "I've killed more people than you can probably call yourself familiar with, and I would feel nothing at such a minor detail as your life. Keep mouthing off and I won't hesitate to make your parents grieve for the loss of a child."

"They're done grievin'," Judai said, a confident smile across his face. "My life no longer carries meanin'. Nobody would grieve for too long if I were gone; it's just the way the world works now. Feelings ain't a thin' anymore, and people are taught to suppress everythin'. Ya kill me, what would ya really achieve?" he asked, the man throwing Judai down to the ground, reaching for his ID card in his pocket.

"I'm sure you have some friends who'll be wondering where you've been," the man said, holding up Judai's student ID. "I sure would hate to have to be the one to tell them that he begged for death. We'll be back soon, so get your big-boy voice ready," he said, chuckling as he left the room, his partner trying his best to copy the laugh before slamming the door shut.

"Well, all in all, I think that went pretty well," Judai said, pulling his legs apart, the duct tape ripping almost automatically. "In fact, I think we're bondin'," he said, chuckling to himself as he remembered the threat the taller of the two men gave him. "Grievin' for a loss, huh? Heh, like that'd be a possibility. They've been expectin' my passin' for as long as I can think, and I can't really blame them for doin' so. All the stuff I put them through, they deserve to no longer have to see me, and even they'd agree to that," he said, looking out the small window in the door, trying to get a bearing on where he was. "But he's right about one thin'. There are people there who might be disappointed if my life were no more. 'Sides, if I don't get Amira-senpai together with bro, it mean's I'd have failed them both. I will make it out of here for both of them!" he declared.

* * *

Letting out a large sneeze while standing alone in the kitchen area of his dorm, Natsu retracted a breath through his nose, restocking the inside of the refrigerator to his right, Koichi standing behind him, tapping his foot impatiently. Wiping the very end of his nose, Natsu looked back at his teacher, who still seemed to be less than happy with him.

"So I spent a bit of money on some chocolate," Natsu said, walking out of the kitchen, letting out a deep breath. "In all fairness, you have been working late a lot lately, and this place gets scary at night alone. This is just payback."

"Was it also payback to leave Ryuzaki by himself?" he asked. "He was probably cursing about you, and that's what you sneezes."

"He told me to go on ahead, saying he had to get something from the store," Natsu explained. "I'm sure he'll be back in his dorm any minute. You do know that he doesn't live here, right?" he asked, a series of footsteps quickly approaching the front door of the dorm. "See? That's probably him right now. You were worrying over nothing," he said, opening the door ahead of the person running towards it, quickly getting swept up by a powerful embrace.

"Thank goodness!" a desperate voice shouted, pulling Natsu tightly up to her, keeping him from moving in any way, Asuka looking down at Natsu's red face with motherly tears falling from her cheeks. "Thank goodness they didn't get you!" she said, pushing him up against her again, Natsu's arms twitching as though he were suffocating.

"Um, headmistress," Koichi started. "Is there something you needed? It would seem that you were worried about Natsu's safety for some reason, even though you yourself seem to be endangering it yourself," he said, putting down at Natsu's near lifeless body as Asuka quickly let him go, Natsu falling to the floor with his face completely lifeless and white. "Now, why don't you tell us what the problem is?"

"One of our students has been kidnapped!" Asuka declared desperately, both Koichi and Natsu freezing in shock. "I just got the call, saying that they had one of our first year students, and that they were going to give us a video call from this building, so I called the other dorm heads over here to figure something out. Then I remembered that you sent both Natsu-kun and Judai-kun to the store earlier, and just knew they had to have taken one of them. I could live if I couldn't look at this adorable face," she said, wrapping her arms back around Natsu.

"See what you get for leaving him alone like that?" Koichi said, trying to place the blame on an already depressed Natsu, given the development.

"Excuse me, professor, but wasn't it you that sent them there in the first place?" Asuka asked, Koichi quickly swiveling around, whistling innocently as both Natsu and the headmistress shot death glares from where they both were. "At any rate, they said that they would give their ransom demands directly from Judai's mouth, so it'll just be him in the video. If we're lucky, Takeru-kun will be able to find out where they're transmitting from," she said, Natsu sitting up straight, looking forward at Koichi who was still trying to keep the blame from actually reaching him.

"_Is it really my fault?"_ he asked himself, thinking about everything that Judai had helped him with. _"Is there anything I can do to know if he actually blames me for this? Just knowing that he's with these people right now makes me feel like there should be something I have to do to make sure he's actually safe. But, what if that means bringing _him_ back out? I don't know if I could actually do it; I've gone at least two weeks without having to use the cloak, but even more so than that, could I get away with it, especially with everyone else around me?"_

* * *

The other dorm heads reached the ghost dorm within another ten minutes, Takeru already busily working at the video phone hooked up to the large screen TV in the main lobby area of the dorm. After connecting several wires, a recording device, and a pair of headphones around his head, the others sitting around in a half circle. With the time slowly approaching the time they were going to be calling from, Natsu continually fidgeted with his fingers, Maaya looking down at him with more than a hint of condescension on her eyes.

"So, tell me again how you managed to get him kidnapped," she said, Natsu's head sinking down at the sound of her words, an evil chuckle following.

"_He's depressed enough as it is, leave him alone, Maaya-chan,"_ Amira's notebook read as the video telephone began ringing precisely on time, Natsu being coaxed by the others to take the call; more pushing him towards it to be exact. _"I hope they'll both be all right,"_ Amira said to herself as Natsu picked up the phone, taking in a deep breath.

"H-He-Hello?" he asked as the video screen came on both the main telephone and the television, the only sight being Judai's form tied to a chair with duct tape, showing that his ankles had been retied. "Judai, are you okay?" he asked, Judai just giving off his normal grin.

"A-okay, bro," he said. "I take it the others are watchin'?" he asked, Natsu nodding, knowing he was the only one he could see. "Well, I must say that this isn't how I expected everyone to see me so soon, but then again, being kidnapped _is_ a once in a lifetime opportunity. This is gonna be one of the stories I tell my grandkids, for sure. It'll be a good conversation piece too. Try to get with a girl in a bar, 'Hey, I was kidnapped once, do I'm all goo with danger.' Whoo, boy will that get me somethin'," he said, looking up at the two men behind the camera. "Oh well, the two sticks in the mud up here want me to get on with it, so here goes," he said, squinting his eyes to read the cue cards the two were holding. "To the ones watchin' this video, we, the evil organization without the sense to give themselves a snappy name, would like to extend our icky, sticky hands to ya in welcome," he said, the screen cutting out momentarily.

"Judai!" Natsu shouted desperately as the screen returned with Judai having a large bump on his head. "What happened?"

"Ya really have to ask?" Judai said in return. "Let's see, 'explain why I'm in this fix, huh?'" he questioned, reading the card the shorter of the two held up. "Well, that could be for any number of reasons, but I have to say that I've always been attracted to dangerous situations because of something that happened when I was five, and walked in on my parents goin' at it. It was dangerous because my eyes would be scarred for life; see my mom had this skin condition, and when you looked at it, it would-," the screen cutting out again, all of the dorm heads completely flabbergasted at how Judai was acting in the situation.

"Are we so sure that he needs help with this?" Mitsu asked, the others all shrugging their shoulders in bewilderment as the screen came back on, now pointed downward as Judai had been placed down, more blunt marks all over his face.

"Looks like I gotta get serious now, folks, I hope you'll forgive me," Judai said. "Look, all these guys want is somethin' from the school funds to finance their operations, and they're thinkin' a little over a million and a half will be good enough. Have to say though, it feels nice to know I'm worth so much. Oh, and bro," he said, turning everyone's attention to Natsu. "I don't blame ya for any of this. This is the result of my own stupidity; I hope _you_ can forgive _m-_," he tried to say before the screen was lost, and nothing but white noise as heard.

"And if any of you are getting any ideas about the cops," a voice said, the dorm heads all tensing up at the sound of the man holding him hostage. "I've already killed enough people; he won't make me feel anything. Have fun," he said, the signal disconnecting, and the screen going completely black, a small dial tone sounding out through the room.

Natsu slowly placed the phone back on the holster, and took a deep breath in, turning around to Takeru who was still typing on his computer as quickly as he could, trying to find the source of the signal. Gripping onto the phone as hard as he could, Natsu continued thinking on the last line that Judai had tried to say before he was cut off, also noting the different bruising he had suffered. He was still blaming himself, not going unnoticed by the others in the room, Koichi walking up to him, and placing a hand on his shoulder. He didn't say anything, noticing the lack of tears that Natsu should have been shedding, and instead his eyes were beginning to fill with rage, a similar feeling Koichi always felt when Natsu had become the Reaper. Taking matters into his own hands, Koichi quickly swung a fist towards Natsu's stomach. Feeling the sting against his abdomen, Natsu's eyes were completely shot, looking back up at his teacher, his eyes intent on keeping Reaper out of the situation.

"What are you doing?" Jiro asked directly to Koichi, the teacher catching Natsu's limp body, beginning to carry him up the stairs towards his room.

"Natsu-kun and Ryuzaki are too close," Koichi said, making an obvious excuse for Natsu, the ghost trainer trying to stay conscious. "Natsu-kun's own feelings may blind him into doing something that he'll definitely regret. If we want to get Ryuzaki back, then we can't have our own emotions getting in the way. Takeru-kun, tell me you're able to lock onto the signal of where they made the call."

"Yes and no," Takeru answered, scratching the top of his head through his cap. "The signal was found, but only because Judai-kun kept making all those stalls in between what they wanted him to say. These guys are just common, ordinary thugs; they don't have the same technology that some of the other bigger name gangs have. In short, they have only intimidation tactics, but I doubt they'll be able to do much to our friend over there. At the same time, they never scrambled their signal, so I can find them fairly easy, but I can't find the actual point where they are," he explained, the other dorm heads gathering around his computer, Mitsu and June staying in the back of the group. "According to this, the signal's coming from here, but as you can see, it's just a forest, and there is no electrical access anywhere near there. No telephone poles, no towers, not even so much as an electrical wire."

"What about a portable generator?" Mitsu asked from behind the others. "A generator meant to last for weeks without recharging its energy, able to power the necessary technology. The reason they wouldn't have the right scrambling technology is because they would only have enough to get the technology to create their own communication signal, untraceable because it's too small. They wouldn't try to get their equipment illegally because they're trying to keep up the façade of legitimate businessmen; they know the risks, but they know of other risks that can come with being completely prepared," she explained. "They're betting on us not having anyone smart enough to know them," she said, the others looking at her with a shocked and surprised look.

"Okay, so how do you know this would be the case?" Maaya asked.

"I used something that obviously escapes you all too easily," Mitsu said, walking back towards the door of the ghost dorm. "Common logic," she said plainly. "I say we follow Takeru's coordinates on foot, and see what we find. If I'm wrong we can laugh about it after we actually find Judai-kun. Are you guys with me?" she asked, the other dorm heads not needing much more convincing, walking out of the building with her, Koichi walking back up the stairs, lying Natsu down on his futon. _"I just really hope I'm right about this. I can't let a scum like that person win."_

"Okay, Natsu-kun, until they get back, I'm keeping watch over you so you don't get any funny ideas," Koichi said, looking down at Natsu who was still unconscious, turning away for a second, Lampent and Golett both glaring at him, nodding as Koichi noticed a sudden movement down where Natsu was. "What the devil!?" he exclaimed, suddenly feeling a sting on the back of his neck.

"_That's_ how you knock someone out," Natsu said, standing over Koichi's unconscious body, walking back over to the far side of his room, Lampent and Golett both following after him. "You think I'm doing the right thing by bringing him back out?" he asked, both of his pokémon staring at their trainer with emotionless expressions. "I guess you're right, as always. Judai's stuck by me every time I was afraid of something since I came here. He stood up for my strength when no one else could see it. And now that he's in trouble, how can I just sit idly by for the sole reason of having my emotions blind me to the situation. The situation is all that matters; he's in danger, and I will save him," he said, pulling the cloak from a closet in the wall, his face quickly disappearing behind the shadow cast by the shroud. "Even if it isn't truly me."

* * *

Still left on the ground, tied to the chair, Judai's face was now up against the ground beneath him, a faint smile on his face as he turned himself onto his side, his face bruised, and his body twitching from the amount of abuse he had taken, a small trickle of blood coming from the corner of his mouth. Turning one more time so he was facing upward, Judai's body began moving inside the confines of the duct tape, three images coming to mind; Natsu, Monferno and Torkoal, and then a final figure, completely covered in shadow, a loud pop ringing in his head.

"Never again," he said, forcing his arms out the sides of the tape, the ripping sound replacing the pop. "Well, I guess I have some things to do while I'm here," he said, unwrapping the tape from around his ankles, quickly ducking off to the side of the door, hearing the sound of footsteps approaching where he was being held; already knowing who it was from the labored sound of his footsteps; the shorter of the two men; obviously Judai hadn't been the only one to feel the taller one's wrath.

"Why do I always have to do the grunt work for that jerk?" the man questioned, stopping at the window. "One of these days, it'll be me runnin' things around here, and then I won't have to take any more of that guy's-," he began saying, looking through the window panel on the door, noticing the ripped duct tape, and the empty chair. "That's impossible!" he shouted, opening the door immediately, but instead only saw it long enough to slam back into his face, Judai's hand up against the door to hold it open, a mischievous grin on his face.

"And all my life I thought that was only possible on cartoons," he said, quickly ducking back around outside the door, closing it so that nobody else could hear. _"First things first, I gotta get my pokémon back. They took my belt away, so that means they showed still have them somewhere in this buildin'. They wouldn't risk sendin' 'em out seein' as they don't take too kindly to people who kidnap me…at least I'm assumin' 'cause this is a first for me,"_ he said, walking quietly through the metal lined hallways. _"Ah, but this truly is the most thrillin' experience I've ever had. I gotta make sure that the others know everythin' about what happened to me; otherwise I'll burst from the excitement. A showdown with the boss-man may be just the thing I need to make this little trip the best. Although, in retrospect, it might be better to get my pokémon and leave either way. Can't have too much fun, after all,"_ he said chuckling to himself as he made his way down the hallway, unaware of a small camera fixed into the wall.

"So, you think we're just some no name group, huh?" the man with the scar said, sitting alone in a room full of screens from all angles, two individual pokéballs behind him. You really think I would underestimate my enemy? Ha! Brat, you've got a lot to learn," he said, toggling the direction of the cameras all around, following Judai's movements, but also noticing something in the corner of his eye, off to the outside camera. "What?" he questioned, looking towards the bottom screen, seeing a quick black flash in front of the camera for only a split second before the screen turned into static. "Now what?"

* * *

Back outside in the dense forest, the building seemed to be no more than a large above ground bunker, covered in camouflage print paint, and flora of all kinds. Standing off behind some of the larger boulders in the landscape, Mitsu, along with Jiro, Kaname, Amira, and Mika in one group sat in wait as they reconfirmed their positions with the second group consisting of Gabriel, Maaya, Sienna, Takeru, and June, standing watch behind some of the denser forestation. Returning over towards the same rock as Mitsu, a black pokémon began speeding towards them, standing on top of the boulder.

"Good job, Sneasel," Mitsu said, returning her other pokémon to its ball. "From here on out, we need brute force to get through any kind of defenses they have on that building. They already know we're here, so why not add a little interest in the mix? What do you guys say?" she asked, looking over at the second group, all of them nodding as they began moving towards the door. "A basic law of physics is that wide spread pressure decreases the overall compressional stress of an object."

"In that case," Maaya said, opening the pokéball with Hitmonlee inside. "Why don't we just focus on one point?" she suggested as Gabriel, Takeru, June, and Sienna all released their secondary pokémon; Tirtouga, Heracross, Skarmory, and Fraxure respectively. "Let's go and get that little idiot," she said, all five pokémon giving their own attacks on the door in front of them; Hitmonlee using Hi-Jump Kick, Tirtouga letting loose a Stone Edge, Skarmory attacking with Air Cutter, Heracross using Megahorn, and Fraxure releasing the final blow with a Superpower attack.

As each of the attack struck the metal wall individually, the final blow from the dragon pokémon forced through the metal structure, blasting the wall inward, allowing access to just about anything. The five dorm heads returned their pokémon, and gave the signal to move in, the five from the first group joining them, Mika, Jiro, and Kaname all sending out their own pokémon to scout ahead; Pidgeotto, Tauros, and Absol respectively. With the three additional pokémon and their trainers moving ahead of the others, the seven left behind began splitting into groups with the other three; Takeru and Mitsu following Mika, Gabriel and June following Jiro, and Maaya, Amira, and Sienna following Kaname.

"I'm surprised at how coordinated Mitsu-chan is," Sienna said, Absol making cautious movements as it rounded one of the corners. "It's almost as if she were in this place before. Do you think she just used basic common sense to figure all this out?"

"It's possible," Kaname said from out front, waiting for Absol to give the signal to move on. "Mitsu is basically all about how the natural order of things are. It's why she's really good with subjects like physics which have a specific way in which things work. That pressure bit from outside; anyone can figure out that you need to apply more stress onto a single spot to break it as opposed to spread it out. It's the same concept as lying on a bed of nails. The stress is transferred equally throughout the body so that the nails don't actually pierce through your skin. What I find more intriguing is that her Sneasel was able to figure out exactly where the security camera was place on the outside of the building."

"Sneasel are just highly perceptive pokémon," Maaya said, walking with her hands folded behind her neck. "It's not so weird for them to be able to find something that we can't see. By the way, don't you think it's kinda risky just waltzing about in here, if we don't know where the cameras are?"

"_Mitsu-chan said that the cameras around the building would've already picked us up within the first few minutes of us entering, and if they were more people in the compound, that they would have come to get us by this point," _Amira's notebook read.

"In other words, these guys really are amateurs," Maaya said, chuckling to herself as they continued down the hallway, even going as far as to wave at one of the cameras embedded into the walls, the man with the scar smashing his hand against the control panel. "You have to think how small a brain it takes to be that stupid."

"Chances are, though, if they were able to keep Judai-kun here for so long, they had to have had some skill behind them," Sienna said. "And if Judai were to be able to get out of there by himself, then maybe they've already anticipated a possible intruder on the inside," she said, Absol instantly halting after reaching one of the corners. "I hate being right like this."

"We only worry if it's too much to handle," Kaname said, rounding the corner where Absol was stopped at, seeing a large group of miscellaneous fighting pokémon on the other side, all seeming to be waiting for something, not having noticed the dark elemental just a mere few meters away. "Okay, now is the time to worry a little bit," he said, hailing the three over towards the corner, showing them the large group of Primape, Machoke, and Hariyama waiting for them, almost being led by a Poliwrath in the center of the group, its arms folded across its body. "We don't find a way around them; chances are _we_ might be the next ransom victim. Here's hoping the other guys aren't having as bad of luck as we are," he said, not knowing that through the other three corridors were other groups of fighting pokémon led by, for the group with Mika, a Medicham, and for the group led by Jiro, a Toxicroak.

"So, you kids thought that you could match wits with me?" the scarred man's voice mocked, coming over the intercom. "There's a reason the police have never been able to get me, and it's because I'm smarter than your average hood. These fighting pokémon have been specially trained by underground battlers to never stop until they've won. A slightly barbaric method of fighting, I'll admit, but it doesn't come without results. Even my weakling of a Croagunk became the strongest leader there ever was. How long do you think that you people can last against my army? Let's find out; everyone, attack!" he shouted through the intercom all of the pokémon instantly to his command, charging towards the end of the hall where each of the different dorm heads were.

"If we ever get out of this alive, I'm gonna kill Judai!" Maaya said, Kaname running past her.

"You'll have to get in line," he said, stopping in the center of the hallway, returning Absol to its pokéball. "Garne, you're up!" he shouted, tossing his other ball, the small form of his Sableye jumping out of the capsule. "Khumalo! I need some back up!" he shouted, Amira reacting slightly nervously as she threw out the pokéball containing her Duosion. "Garne, Will o Wisp!" he commanded, the tiny ghoul releasing a large flurry of fireballs. "Khumalo, now!"

Amira nodded, quickly speaking under her breath, completely inaudible with the fighting pokémon all trying to dodge the attack made by Sableye. Snapping her fingers once she was done, Duosion chuckling as the cell-based pokémon began charging power, surrounding itself in a light blue membrane, slowly spreading it to all of the pokémon before it. As the psychic power passed over the entire army of pokémon before them, Garne excluded, Amira snapped her fingers again, Duosion lifting up all of the pokémon, Garne chuckling evilly as Hitmonchan and Vibrava both joined the battling, ready to attack. With the fighting pokémon all floating above the other three, Garne's claws began to grow large as it reached up against the Poliwrath, its hands acting as a transfer for a light surrounding both it and the helpless opponent.

"Garne…Foul Play," Kaname said calmly, as Sableye slashed across the body of several of the fighting pokémon, all form the same strength it stole from Poliwrath. "You two can take care of the rest of them, I take it," he said, Garne jumping back from the large group, half of the pokémon defeated, Amira snapping her fingers for a third time, the entirety falling to the ground, barely any left standing.

"Hitmonchan, take 'em out," Maaya said as Sienna copied the command, both of the pokémon jumping straight into the fray, evil sneers on their faces as they stood over the still conscious pokémon. "You know if this kind of thing were on a TV show, that kind of stuff you have to be censored as senseless violence," she said, all three of the other nodding as Vibrava and Hitmonchan walked away leaving the defeated pile of pokémon twitching. "Next time, give us a real challenge, old man!" she shouted at the camera, Hitmonchan punching it directly afterwards.

* * *

"Just who are these people!?" the man shouted, staring at the other screens, showing a similar result, even the Tauros Jiro owned being able to fight off the Toxicroak he was bragging about earlier. "Nobody can actually be this powerful, can they?" he questioned, the sound of something clapping against the palm of someone's hand apparent to him as he turned around. "What?"

"They're just a bunch of friends from my school," Judai said, throwing his pokéball up and down in his hand, leaning against the end of the doorway, his other arm folded across his body. "They really do know how to battle, though, don't they? Makes me wonder if I'll be able to be as powerful by next year when I'm that age," he said, the scarred man instantly backing away from him. "Oh, I had no idea Jiro-senpai's Tauros was so strong!" he said, still watching the screen in anticipation. "Even Mika-senpai's Pidgeotto doesn't need help against that Medicham, and that's considerin' that it's battlin' with Takeru-senpai's Mothim and Mitsu-senpai's Sneasel. Jeez, you're even havin' problems with pokémon ya should be havin' no contest with. I'm starting to think that ya really are a weak person."

"Don't look down at me," the man said as Judai kept watching the screens, seeing June's Skarmory and Gabriel's Archen fighting alongside Jiro's Tauros. "There's a certain part of the world you need to learn about, brat. And that's even if pokémon are in play, people with guns generally have the real power," he said, holding up a small pistol directly at the back of Judai's head. "Such a small item that has so much power inside of it, and just my pulling a small trigger, so many powerful people have lost their lives."

"Hey, do ya know the legend of Pokémon Tower?" Judai asked, standing up straight, still towered over by the man threatening him. "It was in those days when people and pokémon were on much nicer terms with each other, and nobody had to worry about common thugs like ya. The team that ya losers pale in comparison to was able to kill a pokémon, and that pokémon sent countless people away from the graveyard to grieve the loss of their partners. Eventually, a young trainer, whose name is now printed into legend, calmed the spirit, and people could once again grieve for the loss of countless pokémon."

"What's your point?" the man asked.

"When we leave this world," Judai started, losing his grip on the pokéball in his hand. "Who's gonna grieve for trash us?" he asked, the pokéball exploding open with a blaze already surrounding Judai, and Monferno as it prepared a fighting stance, the man back away instantly at the high temperature. "I should've died long ago, but like an idiot, I couldn't see the grace from the other side. I kept thinking, maybe I'm not doing enough, or maybe somebody doesn't want me to die just yet, but then it actually hit me. A life is still a life, and no life is not worth livin'!" he shouted, Monferno shooting from within the flames, its fist wrapped in a harsh blue light, striking the man in the stomach. "See, I learned something else a long time ago. I've cheated death so many times, it don't want me anymore. It would seem, that nothin' will be comin' to kill me anytime soon," he said beginning to walk away from the man still left twitching on the ground from Monferno's attack. "Hmm, wonder why bro didn't show up," he said, finally noticing Natsu's absence.

"Don't think you've finished with me yet, brat," the man on the ground said, lifting up the small pistol in his hand, and pulling the trigger, the bullet screaming through the air as it travelled towards the back of Judai's head. _"With this, you're just another trophy on my shelf!"_ he said confidently, but suddenly watched with utter shock as Judai simply turned his head to the side, a split second before the bullet reached him. "What!? No, it can't be true. How can a stupid kid like you be able to dodge something like that? What are you!?" he shouted, Judai disappearing, and reappearing directly behind him, kicking the gun out of his hand.

"It depends on who ya ask," Judai said. "If ya ask my parents, I'm Judai Ryuzaki, their son. If ya ask my friends, I'm Judai Ryuzaki, their companion. But if ya ask the only thing keepin' me from death, I'm Judai Ryuzaki, the one who cheated the system. And finally, if ya ask a very specific person, I'm Judai Ryuzaki, his best friend," he said. "But to all of them, I'm just Judai," he said, giving off a smile as he bolted out of the door, Monferno gripping onto his shoulder as he left.

* * *

Back in the hallway that Kaname and his group were travelling through, the four people continued walking down the darkened path, Absol back out of its pokéball, leading the way with its senses alerting it to any danger. The hallway began to grow increasingly quiet as the four walked through it, even the echoing sound of their footsteps beginning to lessen as they reached a center room, all three of the paths originally taken converging towards the single one.

"So, in other words, we could've just gone through one way, and _not_ have to deal with three different groups of pokémon?" Maaya asked, Kaname not able to answer as they began to hear another series of footsteps coming from the other two passages, the other dorm heads entering the empty room, seeing that there was no place else to go, and the metal wall in front of them was just that, a wall. "You can't be serious! We go through all this trouble to get that idiot back, and now we reach a dead-end!?" she exclaimed slamming her fist against the wall in front of them, three doors slamming shut behind them, blocking off the exits in or out of the room. "I say we all grab a few sticks when we get back, and poke that little idiot until he's good and tenderized, agreed?" she asked, the others all nodding in agreement.

"So, it looks like you've finally reached the room before you actually get to where I am, huh?" the scarred man asked, looking down at the room, barely able to bring himself up in front of all of the screen staring at him. "Well, just thought I should let you know, your little friend was here, and he made a very startling declaration; what kind of idiot actually goes off and says that if he did, then there would be no one to grieve? But I wonder how it would work the other way around. How long would he grieve if you all suddenly met your untimely demise?" he asked, the doors behind them opening, and then one other door opening in the wall in front, the pokémon from before piling into the room, Toxicroak, Poliwrath, and Medicham all coming in through the door in the front. "Be sure to tell your friend I said hello, especially you," he said pointing over at one of them on the screen, their eyes cringing at how they singled them out.

"So now what?" Kaname asked, bringing Sableye back out as the others also brought out their partner pokémon. "Even if we were to defeat them all, the doors are already closed, and we have no idea as to what traps are set in here. Furthermore, we can't leave here without Ryuzaki."

"Well we could," Maaya said. "That's just not the most favorable option. But you're right, these pokémon are trained to not stop until they can no longer battle. It's like in those geeky shows where there's the slime that keeps coming back for more."

"In other words," Mitsu said. "We have one of two options. One, we can fight them as hard as we can, and hope they'll just give up, or two, abandon our own morals of fighting fair, and play on their turf before they have the chance to beat us. We have a ghost, flying, psychic, and bug type on our side, not to mention pokémon that may not be as badly affected by their attacks as others. The only thing we can do now is hope for that to happen. Otherwise, we need a miracle."

Within seconds, however, the groups of fighting pokémon had surrounded the small band, the ten pokémon all shielding their trainers from any possible attacks, Toxicroak, Poliwrath, and Medicham walking out in front, staring down the ten dorm heads. With a quick sneer, the Toxicroak gave an order to attack, the myriad of pokémon about to attack from where the ten stood, all of them bracing for the attack.

"Then there's option three," a person said from within the circle of where the others stood. "Let the heart of an already dirties man fall further in to protect your own," he said, lifting his shaded figure, the folds of his cloak wafting with his movement. "Hades, dispense of them," Reaper said, Lampent appearing from behind him. "All of you should get down now," he said, the others all ducking underneath. "Heat Wave!" he commanded, Lampent beginning to spin around in place, quickly releasing a burst of hot air.

Stepping out after a few second, Reaper looked out at the pokémon all around him, most of them defeated, if not injured by Lampent's attack. Scoffing at how they weak they proved themselves to be, he began walking back towards the front wall, Toxicroak, Poliwrath, and Medicham still standing, ready to attack, whether it be Lampent, or Reaper himself. Letting out a depressed sigh through the folds of cloth, Reaper held out his arm, the other dorm heads watching in utter shock at who they were watching.

"Life comes from death," Reaper said. "Death comes from life. The world is connected in every part of how it functions. Everything has a light and dark, everything has a good and evil, and even in some ways, has a feeling and lack of remorse. Hades, show them where life comes from, and where it must return to," he said, snapping his fingers, the sound vibrating throughout the room as Lampent quickly, and without hesitation, shot an Energy Ball towards Poliwrath, a Shadow Ball at Medicham, and a single blast of Heat Wave towards Toxicroak.

"That's Reaper?" Maaya questioned. "I figured he'd be taller."

"Don't take anything of him lightly," Kaname said, looking at the form of the person he had battled, just a couple weeks prior. "He's on an entirely different level than the rest of us, and he doesn't hesitate to attack anyone, no matter who they are. And yet, I can't help but feel as though he's not here to finish what he started with me."

"I'm here to repay a debt," Reaper said, pressing his hand to the wall where the three commanding fighting types came out of. "You, the one with the Sneasel. Tell me how you were able to break through the front wall."

"It was just basic physics, applying pressure to a single point on the wall in order to break through it, as opposed to spreading out the pressure," she said, Reaper nodding, some of the others looking at him from the side, seeing that even his arms were gloved in black, more than likely up to the elbow. "You can't be serious about busting that door open, it's at least five times thicker than the one out front."

"Then I'll have to be five times stronger than what you were able to get to," he said, holding out his hand, flipping the cloak behind him, Golett appearing out of nowhere. "Remember that your strength is meant to be your ally, Hesiod. And that there is nothing to stop you from turning every last drop of your strength into what we need."

"Hesiod?" Jiro questioned. "Isn't that one of the guardians of the underworld in mythology, Tartarus?" he asked, Reaper turning to him as Golett began charging its fist with power. "And you called your Lampent Hades earlier. Why name them this way?"

"Tartarus is more than the underworld, it is a place of eternal torture, as is the pain I feel from having to hide who I am, continuing on to be the one they call the Reaper," Reaper said, Golett continuing to charge its power, well beyond what the other pokémon had shown. "Every day that I live feels like that place to me, and I can't help but feel that I am but at the mercy of the true reaper. Therefore, to remind me of who I am to be for the rest of my days, I will continue to live in my own Tartarus, my Lampent is to be the ruler of all as Hades, and my Golett is to be the giant that guards the gates as Hesiod. Nothing that can be said will change who I am, but by continuing to pay back the favors I owe, maybe some rest can be given."

"What would drive a person to this state?" Mika asked, Takeru letting in a deep breath.

"Reaper is a person who lives by a simple rule," he began, Golett at the breaking point for its Focus Punch. "Simply to survive as who he is. Nothing about him is supposed to make sense to those who have no idea where it is he comes from, and for those that can have a decent idea, it's a matter of whether they would want to accept such a responsibility, or live with their sanity intact, am I right?" he asked, Reaper nodding as Golett released its punch, the single point of pressure in the center, ringing throughout the room, a giant cloud of dust forming from the spot.

"I thank you for your help, Ichihana-san," Reaper said, Golett stepping out from the dust created from its attack, a large gaping hole twisting outward from the door, the others all shocked at how much power the Golett in front of them was able to use. "From here on, I'll handle the boy's extraction, I have faith that you would all be able to break at least one of those doors," he said, walking through the dimly lit path, Maaya's anger beginning to boil, Reaper not turning back.

"Is he saying that I'm weaker than him?" she asked, her eyes twitching as Amira instantly backed off with a nervous chuckle. "Whatever, like I'd even consider helping a lowlife who won't even show his face to anyone. He says he's got it covered, I say we go. It wasn't worth coming here if he was just gonna take all the glory," she said, beginning to walk away, none of the others following after her. "Hey, what are you guys waiting for? He said it would take all of us to break through one of these doors."

"All it took was one punch for him to break through a wall that we would've had to use at least ten pokémon for," Gabriel said, leaning against the hole in the door that Reaper had made. "And yet, he never acted proud of his power. He looks at it as a burden. Do you remember what he said when Jiro noticed his pokémon's names?" he asked, Maaya not reacting. "He said that he would continue to live in his own Tartarus. There are legends about people who go through trials to get out of such a place, and yet are constantly failing; a stone that will always roll away from the goal, grapes that will never be reached. Nothing we can do now would ever amount to the torture that he feels just by being called Reaper. If you look at him and think he's nothing but a lowlife, try and look at a life where it's not that you do want to show your face, it's a life where you can't," he said. "I'll be waiting for him right here. In my eyes, Reaper is a man to be feared for his honor, but also for his suffering."

Nobody else moved, not even Maaya, just staring at one of the closed doors that would lead out as she turned to face the same hole Reaper disappeared into. _"If he messes this up, I don't care who it was that gets hurt, but if they were from the same school as me, I wouldn't hesitate to kill a man that would let that happen. Reaper, if you don't get Ryuzaki out of there, it would only prove my point that you are nothing more than a coward, and deserve to live your life in a hell like that."_

* * *

With his footsteps echoing down the hallway, Judai kept looking from side to side, finding no doorways, no windows, not even so much as an air vent. Pursing his lips out of frustration, he jerked his shoulder, Monferno quickly jumping off, and blasting a stream of fire through the hallway to light the way, and make sure nothing was waiting for them. Sighing at the thought of not being able to get out, Judai's ears perked up at the sound of several footsteps approaching him. Bracing himself for the possible enemy coming at him, Judai's expression quickly turned to relief at the familiar shape of the black cloak wrapped around his friend's face.

"Hey, Judai, how're you holding up?" Natsu asked, the cloak now draped over his head, more like a tattered blanket, making his face visible, both of his pokémon much more softer in their expression as opposed to Reaper's pokémon. "Sorry we were late."

"Hey, better late than never, bro," Judai said. "Although there is somethin' I'm wonderin'; did ya come with anybody else? Like the other dorm heads, or somethin'?" he asked, both of them hearing slow, steady footsteps echoing throughout the hallway, neither of them able to tell which of the two directions it could have been coming from. "Because if ya didn't , then we're screwed over big time," he said, Natsu wrapping the shroud back over his face, his pokémon's expressions beginning to harden, both of them turning to the end of the hallway.

"Nobody makes a fool out of me like that," an ominous voice said from the end of the hallway. "I don't care if you say that you can't die, your friends aren't so lucky, no matter how hard they try to hide from me," the scarred man said, holding the pistol towards both Judai and Reaper. "I thought that maybe some random kid would get the message across that we don't mess around, but what better of a target would the infamous Reaper make other than you?" he said, pointing the barrel of the gun directly at Reaper's form. "This will prove that I'm ever bit of the man that I was meant to be," he said, lining up his shot, and pulling the trigger, Reaper not moving even an inch out of the way, a sneer coming across the man's face, but was quickly taken away from the wall of fire melting the bullet before it had the chance to reach its target.

"He's my friend," Judai said, the man scoffing at his claim, looking down at the Torkoal, its flames beginning to recede back into its shell. "So, I don't care if ya have all the guns that an armada would. I'll protect him. If ya want to get to him, you gotta go through me first!" he declared, noticing no change in Reaper's expression, unsure of what Natsu was thinking by this point. "Show me ya really are a man, and do what ya said ya would do."

There was a long silence afterwards, nobody made a movement, the man never pulled the trigger, just looking down at the Torkoal, proving itself powerful to defeat even the weapon he had built up so much to his current hostage. The look in Judai's was one without fear, and were confident in what he said, a small smile coming across the man's face again, tracing the line of his scar, a small chuckle beginning to pass through his teeth. After several seconds, it turned into a full blown laughter, holding his head to keep his balance.

"You remind me too much of myself when I was that age!" the man said. "This scar was nothing more than my own stupidity, and taught me the truth of the world. This is a place where only those with power can survive. You've been boasting such a bravery this whole time, and never showed me that I could intimidate you, but what if I were to call your bluff?" he asked, quickly pulling the trigger of his gun, the bullet screaming across the air, followed by nothing silence.

From within his cloak, Natsu could only see Judai falling to the ground in slow silence, nothing being said, a small trail of blood flowing from the wound he had just received. Even though it couldn't be seen, Natsu's eyes were releasing tears like no tomorrow, seeing Judai twitch in pain at the feeling of the bullet stuck in his shoulder, Monferno and Torkoal both looking at their fallen trainer with the same shock in Natsu's hidden eyes, both of Natsu's pokémon staying strong on the inside, but were trembling at how easily the man in front of them was able to shoot him. The man's laughter carried through the hallway, the other dorm heads able to hear it, running in through the hallway, finding the state Judai was in. Maaya looked especially down the way at Reaper, seeing him stand in silence, her anger beginning to well up.

"You…," she started, Reaper not turning to her. "You promised that he wouldn't get hurt!" she shouted running up to him, punching him across the face, Reaper making no effort to dodge, or block the attack, this making Maaya back away, noticing a small shine from something falling from the inside of Reaper's cloak. _"Was that a tear?"_

"I…," Reaper began, both his and Judai's pokémon beginning to prepare their own attacks, as he reached his gloved out in front of him. "I'm going to kill you…," he said, bringing his head up, a single eye visible from within the cloak, showing the tear falling from it, the man slowly walking away from him. "You just shot my friend," he said, the designation making the others look up at the underground battler. "Even if he doesn't die from this, I will never forgive a man who would condone shooting another person just because he was in the way. And neither will they," he said, both Monferno and Torkoal beginning to explode into flames covering their body.

"It can't be. The masked battler without feeling would grieve for a person willing to put his life in the way of his most certain death. This is too sad for words," he said, continuing to try and seem stronger than the others, the fire type pokémon making him nervous at how much he would be able to take. _"Wait, those pokémon aren't even following Reaper's orders. Does that mean, they're acting out of grief for their trainer? Impossible, pokémon are nothing but creatures that are at our beck and call. They can't actually feel the same sadness we do, right?"_

"Their actions are more than justified," Reaper said, swinging his arm off to the side. "And so are mine," he said, Lampent, Torkoal, and Monferno all shooting a large blast of fire at the same time towards the man, his body engulfed in the fire. "I don't think anyone will be grieving for you if you were to die, right? Then why continue on when you can no longer give anything back to the people that have been with you for this long? A life is something always worth living, and the people who have been there for you will always grieve, but for trash like you, I don't think that's going to be anything of a possible."

"_What?"_ the man questioned, being launched out of the fire after Reaper's Golett rocketed into the flames, punching him across the gut. _"Come to think of it, that brat said something similar," _he said, remembering what he said when he tried to threaten him with his gun before. _"He said that when we leave this world, who would grieve for trash like us. People who cheat death on a daily basis, cause the deaths of others, and believe that they can control such a singularity. I think I'm starting to understand it now. Every life I took was one that could never come back, and for that, I'll have to live with myself the rest of my life knowing what I did to so many."_

As the man fell back against the wall of the hallway, Reaper's pokémon retreated back towards the cloaked figure where they disappeared into their pokéballs, Monferno and Torkoal, helping to ease Judai as Reaper stayed motionless, just watching the other dorm heads lead Judai back out of the complex.

"_It's said that people have something called an Aura; an invisible force that is who we truly are at our very core. People have often said that mine is the Aura of Death, a singularity that is something that will always be, and never be something welcomed except for those who are able to understand what it means to actually die,"_ Natsu said, looking at the others through his cloak. _"If I were to actually know these people a bit more, then maybe I could find someone with an Aura to finally match mine, but for now I have merely found an Aura that could only be described as further than anything from mine. Judai is my best friend, and yet our Auras are so different. Something just as powerful resides in Judai, and something that is equally certain of happening, to which nobody knows how or when. Something even more powerful than the grasps of death is the warm of embrace that Judai offers everyone he's around. Even protecting me, a person who despises what he is, an Aura of Life."_

Looking back at Reaper, having regained a small amount of consciousness, Judai gave a smile, and a thumbs-up to the masked battler, the other dorm heads watching as Reaper turned the other way, disappearing in a sudden gust of wind.

"_That's my best friend, I guess,"_ Judai said. _"The only reason I can stay alive is because of people that need me. Even if I couldn't help back then, I can help people now, and until I'm not longer needed, my life will never be something completely worthless, and I'll live it like I won't be there tomorrow. But with everything happening around us, I wish to stay here, just a bit longer,"_ he finished with a smile.

* * *

Character Appearances:

Judai Ryuzaki: Monferno & Torkoal. Jexo

Natsu Kohashigawa: Lampent & Golett. NightFall00

Takeru Sanjero: Mothim & Heracross. Moth's Aflame

Maaya Yoshida: Hitmonchan & Hitmonlee. emmausgirl94

Amira Khumalo: Kirlia & Duosion. FlyPandaBear

Mitsuta "Mitsu" Ichihana: Glaceon & Sneasel. Crossroader32

Jiro Matsushita: Bibarel & Tauros. Goldenfeatherkyru

Kaname Misaki: Sableye & Absol. Ariesbird

Mika Saito: Ledian & Pidgeotto. Cyanide the Sneasel

Gabriel Volantis: Archen & Tirtouga. WereDragon EX

Sienna Smith: Vibrava & Fraxure. Fluttersong

June Kurosaki: Lairon & Skarmory. Lady Island Rose

* * *

Notes:

Nothing this time…

* * *

Chapter six complete. I have to say, guys that this one was really fun to write out, mostly because I have a lot of fun playing around with Judai's characters. He's just so upbeat, and such a jokester, I couldn't help but make him a kidnap victim, mostly because they were two ways that could have gone, he could've annoyed them to now end, or they would've killed him on the spot. Even more than that, I was finally to introduce all of the other pokémon owned by the others, and get a bit more into the secrets some of the others have, and if all goes well, I could have this story updated by next week if I'm not too busy. Next week on Saturday, I'll be in Seattle with my Japanese class all day, so I won't be able to write that day, but if all goes well, then I'll have this next chapter up one Friday next week when I actually have some decent free time. Until we meet again, though, this is NightFall saying ja nee, and hoping you had a good time reading this as usual.


	8. The Truth in Tragedy

Hey, guys, NightFall here with the next chapter of HDD, and I won't lie, it did take me a while to figure out which character I would be playing around with. As for those of you who don't remember from last chapter, I focused primarily on Judai, to which the owner of said character was actually surprised I devoted an entire chapter to him, something he said that he had never experienced before, and this is where a lot of Pokémon OC fanfics go wrong. They focus primarily on the author's characters, and the others just become side characters. I want to give everyone their time in the limelight, and it's easier for this story because of how I have it set up with the characters, given I only have twelve, so it's a fairly simple process to just figure things out one at a time for each of these characters. My hope is that those of you who did submit characters are enjoying the way I use them in my stories, and know that I will not leave any of them behind, and that we will be having some fun.

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN POKÉMON, BECAUSE IF I DID, GHOSTS AND DRAGONS WOULD NOT BE WEAK TO THEMSELVES.**

* * *

Chapter 7: The Truth in Tragedy

People handle trauma in very different ways, and almost no two people are alike in this aspect, looking at things in their past with their own eyes, and never that of another's. Trauma is probably one of the most stereotyped parts of human life, and nobody suffers from this more than another. It's said that for every boy who's tired of having to be strong, there's a girl who's tired of trying to be feminine and weak; for every girl tired of not being able to play certain sports, there's a boy who's tired of having to prove himself to the others. Trauma comes in the same category of being stereotyped by gender; stereotypes on trauma normally entail that a girl is supposed to be crying, feeling nothing but despair, and that a boy is to be the strong one, emotionless, and unaffected by whatever happens to him. Sadly, stereotypes are not without truth in some cases, and while some stereotypes may seem insensitive, all speculation comes from some kind of observation. The only thing that can be done to break these views, is to prove that no two people are alike, and that in the end, people are to be seen as the individuals they are.

* * *

With sweat dropping down from the tips of her hair, the repeated sound of something slamming against another filling her ears, Maaya stood in the center of a small room, the only thing inside being a punching bag suspended from both the ground, and tied off on the floor, and a small shelf of lifting weights off to the side. With each continuous punch landed against the bag, Maaya continually grunted, her Hitmonchan trying to keep the bag steady as she kept her focus only on what was in front of her. As her punches continually grew quicker in speed, Maaya looked up to see Hitmonchan not even flinching against what she was doing, forcing her to try even harder, eventually swinging one of her fists off to the side of the bag. At the sound of the connection, a small depression was noticeable, Hitmonchan looking down at it slightly surprised, Maaya wiping the sweat from her head with a towel.

"Don't want me to force myself, try to at least notice my progress," Maaya said, her Hitmonchan placing its arms across its chest, as a kind of salute, the fighting type trainer chuckling at the pokémon's demeanor. "Ah, at least I can count on you for a decent laugh every now and again. Unlike like that idiot," she said, noticing her Hitmonlee off to another side of the room, shadow boxing with itself, per se, simply kicking off in random directions. "Why did he have to be so impossible? It's like someone's punishing me for something. The only thing mean I've done in the past few weeks was tormenting that stupid brat, Natsu."

As Hitmonchan stood up from its salute, and began punching the bag for its own training, Maaya watched both of her pokémon training to their hearts content, but couldn't help but notice some of the things each of the pokémon were doing. Her Hitmonlee was simply continuing his shadow kicking, but also looking at its stance in the mirror aside from it, granting a smile of confidence to Maaya. Her Hitmonchan, however, seemed to be more interested in its training only when Maaya was turned towards it, watching each of the straight punches it gave, making her chuckle again at how her pokémon always acted around her.

"_Hitmonchan's always trying to impress me,"_ Maaya noticed, seeing the waver in the punching pokémon's eye back and forth from the bag to her. _"I guess that's why he never shows a bit of flinching when I train; he's trying to show off for his trainer, and getting hurt by a girl's punches is just out of the question. Hitmonlee, though, why do I bother keeping him around? He's lazy, disobedient, and can barely see past his own nose…if he had one. And yet, I can't help but feel he's a true embodiment of martial arts; always looking to make himself better. The only part that makes him better than Hitmonchan, is probably the fact he doesn't try to impress me,"_ she said, standing up, walking towards the locker rooms connected to the gymnasium.

* * *

Walking out a few minutes later, the sweat from her forehead completely gone, a towel still placed over her hair, Maaya signaled her pokémon, Hitmonchan immediately following after her, Hitmonlee taking a bit more persuasion as his counterpart was forced to pull him aside. Seeing the difference in how both of her pokémon acted brought another smile to Maaya as she flipped the towel from her head, her hair flowing down to her waist, throwing it down into a large bin off to the side before exiting the gym, waving to the tenant outside, but was quickly stopped in place given who she was now facing.

"Well don't that just paint a picture?" Judai questioned, looking at Maaya with her hair down, her face already beginning to tint with red. "Ya should keep it down more often, it makes ya look more like a girl," he said, Natsu standing off to the side, almost mesmerized by the difference in how she looked. "Why do I feel like I'm gonna regret that?" he asked, seeing both Maaya and Hitmonchan burning with bloodlust at his last comment, Natsu quickly stepping off to the side. "Hey! Come on, senpai, I have a bullet wound here!" he tried to remind her.

"Then why are you coming down to the gym?" she asked, slamming her fist into her palm, Judai quivering at the harsh sound echoing from both her and Hitmonchan's fists. "You shouldn't even be at the school right now, and when you ran away from the hospital, who just so happened to be on watch at that time, and get chewed out for letting you go? Oh, that's right…me!" she said, Natsu covering his eyes, only able to hear what Maaya was doing to Judai, but the screams of agony were enough to paint a very, _very_ vivid picture in his mind.

"Hey, hey, hold it! Uncle, uncle!" Judai shouted, begging Maaya to stop, Natsu opening his eyes to see Judai's back bent over Maaya's knee, her arms pushing him down farther and farther on both sides. "I may have snuck out of the hospital, but that don't mean that this move don't hurt like heck!" he said, Maaya letting him go, walking back towards the door to leave, quickly turning to Natsu, Hitmonchan still keeping a grip on Judai around his neck with one of its arms.

"As for you," she started, Natsu instantly thinking about cowering away. "Don't look at me like that ever again. People might get the wrong idea, and start thinking you like me or something, and I'm not gonna deal with all your stupid fan-girls," she said, Natsu instantly sighing out of relief that he didn't end up like Judai.

"I'm sorry senpai, but I wasn't used to seeing you look so pretty with your hair down, I couldn't help it," he said, a small smile on his face as Maaya's face froze in shock, Hitmonchan, still gripping onto Judai, simply punching him once in the jaw at how easily Natsu was able to say what he did. "What did I say?" he asked, looking up at Lampent, the ghost pokémon not willing to comment on what he did wrong this time, Hitmonlee beginning to walk up to the ghost trainer.

Simply walking by him, Hitmonlee placed a hand on Natsu's shoulder, gave him a thumbs up, and walked out the door, Maaya's face continuing to radiate a deep red color, running after Hitmonlee as the fighting type's counterpart followed soon after. With Judai left on the floor, still trying to recuperate from both his earlier injury, and his current injury, the fire type trainer forced his jaw back into place, and stood up, brushing the dust off of his clothes.

"Bro," he started, placing a hand on his shoulder. "You have truly attained the next level in bein' popular with girls!" he declared, his fist raised towards the sky, Natsu left dumbfounded by what had just happened. "Bein' able to make a girl blush with a single compliment is somethin' that can't be done by any mere mortal. I now bow in respect to you, O Great Master," he said, Natsu unsure of whether or not he was kidding. "Tell me, how did ya know such a compliment would disarm her like that? I must know."

"I just told her the truth," Natsu said. "I thought she looked kinda pretty with her hair down like that, and I just told her that. Besides, I thought girls said they liked honesty in a guy," he said, every single male student current working out in the gym freezing in position to look his way, a definite glare in their eyes. "What did I say?"

"Trust me, when I say this to ya, bro," Judai started, cracking his spine as he stretched it back. "Women are fickle creatures, and the minute ya actually show them somethin' they say they like, they're all superficial and willin' to change their standards until the perfect Prince Charmin' comes along," he said, the other going back to their own thing. "Half the reason any of the girls here seem to like ya is purely physical. Trust me, at least a quarter of your fan clubs only like the texture of your hair, and would agree with Maaya-senpai that ya really are a wimp," he said, several things in that sentence bringing certain despair to Natsu. "For now, though, I think you've effectively brought her to her knees," he said, trying to walk into the gym, but after walking a few feet, instantly collapsed to the ground.

"Still too early to leave the hospital?" Natsu asked. "Or was it the beating Maaya-senpai gave you?" he asked, Judai not as amused as his friend was, forcing him to help him up. "Maaya-senpai was right about something, though. Any of the girls that do like me, for whatever reason, wouldn't probably take too kindly to anyone else interested in me, or the other way around."

"If that's the only reason ya ain't going after Amira-senpai, it's pretty weak," Judai said, Natsu falling behind trying to think about what he was talking about. "I told the girls in our class that you're pinin' for another girl, and that if they really care about ya, then they won't bother you until _I'm_ sure you're free," he said casually, Natsu; jaw almost dropping to the floor at gaining this new knowledge, Judai moving his brow up and down mischievously.

"If that's the case, then you can keep this going for as long as you want," Natsu said worried by what the context of his classmate's words could bring, Judai sneering down at him, his Monferno doing the same as they began making their way back to the ghost dorm, unknowingly passing by Maaya, left trying to retie her hair back into the ponytail she kept it in.

* * *

"_That little brat!"_ she shouted in her mind, punching the wall next to the window she used for reference, both of her pokémon trembling at the anger put into her strike. _"He thinks he can just come up and say that I looked p-p-pretty with my hair down? Ha! Guys have been trying to put the moves on me and Amira since we got here, and no kid with less backbone than Gulpin is gonna change the fact we've been able to get by this far. Still, why didn't I just lash out at him? Had it been anyone else, they'd end up like that dumb Ryuzaki, and yet I can help but pity that brat Natsu. Was it because he was just stating his opinion? If that's the case, it wasn't his comment that made me feel weird, but his honesty?"_

Walking back to the fighting dorm, Maaya merely kicked the door open, those already inside jumping out of shock at how fast it was done, their dorm head walking up to her room towards the top floor, her pokémon following after her. Sitting down on the bed in the left corner of her room, Maaya fell back so she was now facing the ceiling; her eyes begin to wander about before her phone range, breaking her concentration, a small amount of frustration in her expression.

"Yeah?" she asked. "Oh, it's you. For a minute there, I thought it was somebody important," she said, listening to the other end of the line. "Yeah, I guess it's okay here. Since the ghost dorm finally got a student, though, that little brat's been making my life pretty miserable. All those girls coddling him like a baby is enough to make me sick. …My grades? Why do you always bring up the depressing parts of my life like this? …You send me to here get me to change, and you expect it to happen within a few days? Ha! You'd have better luck trying to get that little wimp to toughen up his act. I just have to look at him and he winces. …What? You can't be serious. No! Come on, we went through this last year, I don't wanna! …Fine, I guess if you _really_ have to," she said before hanging up the phone, throwing it across the room towards her desk. "Stupid; I don't need you to take care of me anymore. I don't know if you noticed, but I was never as weak as you made me out to be."

* * *

As the morning sunlight began to peek through the window panes, Maaya clutched tighter onto her pillow, trying to keep from having to wake up, bringing her covers back over her head. Letting out a small sigh of relief of having escaped the light, Maaya began to go back to sleep, hearing a series of footsteps approaching her door, a frustrated look beginning to appear on her face. As the footsteps ceased directly in front of her room, Maaya let out an exasperated sigh, coming out of the covers, her tank top draped past her shoulder, and gripped the door knob, pulling it open in one shot.

"What do you want?" she asked, not knowing who was outside the door until she opened her eyes a bit wider, seeing Amira staring at her, and then a bit lower, the one person she could have lived without seeing just fine, Natsu. "What are you doing here, you little snot?" she asked, Natsu giving off a nervous chuckle, before Maaya noticed how she was dressed, and instantly shut the door in their faces. "At least let me know these things ahead of time!" she shouted, just realizing she let Natsu see her in nothing more than a tank top and a pair of shorts barely reaching to her thighs; something she would not soon forget.

"_She really doesn't like people seeing her with her hair down,"_ Amira's notebook read, Natsu nodding in understanding. _"That and I don't think she really likes people to see her in the morning. She acts really tough, but she's really a nice girl when you get to know her," _it read on the facing page, Natsu almost agreeing with her, a smile all he needed for his answer, still chuckling nervously as they both waited for Maaya.

"Next time, I'll be sure to pound you into the ground if you ever see me like that again, brat," Maaya said, slamming her fist into her palm as she walked in front of Amira and Natsu down the way towards the school. "So why send you two to get me if it's just my brother coming to visit?" she asked, Amira quickly scribbling on her notebook before showing it to her friend.

"_Tetsuro-san wanted us to get you because he's known me for long enough to trust me, and he also wanted to meet Natsu-kun in the process,"_ it read, Maaya turning to Natsu with a small amount of annoyance. _"If anything, I think it's nice to know that you still have family that cares about you so much he wants to know how you interact with others."_

"If anything, that idiot just wants to give them more reason to put me in special anger management classes," Maaya said, Natsu trying to avoid the subject, no matter how appropriate it might've been, not going unnoticed by Maaya, clenching her fist tightly with a dark aura beginning to surround her. "Something you want to say, brat?" she asked, raising her fist, and turning around, Natsu already cowering behind Amira, trembling, shaking his head nervously. "Didn't think so," she said, walking away from both of them, Natsu letting out a sigh of relief.

"Maybe she does need those classes," Natsu said quietly, Amira chuckling a bit, but said laughter instantly stopped in place as Amira and Natsu both looked in front of her, Maaya already standing there, an annoyed look on her face, cracking her knuckles as Natsu began trembling again at the sight of the dark aura surrounding her again as though she were a demon, making a mad sprint towards the headmistresses office.

"Get back here so I can kill you!" Maaya shouted, Natsu not bothering to answer her as he made a sharp turn towards the large, wooden, double doors to where he knew it would be safer…relatively speaking. "You think going in there is gonna be better for you?"

"_At least I know I won't get beaten to death,"_ Natsu said to himself, wrenching the doorknob open, and quickly diving into Asuka's office. _"And if she's with others, she'll tone it down, right?"_ he questioned, letting out a relieved sigh before looking upwards, Asuka having a similar killing intent in her eyes as Maaya did, a bead of sweat dropping from Natsu's forehead. "I just can't win, today, can I?" he asked, Asuka grabbing him by the collar, and pushing him over towards her desk. "What'd I do this time?"

"Is it true a girl kissed you on the lips?" Asuka asked bluntly, both Amira and Maaya at the door, the former blushing slightly at the memory as Natsu did, his attempt to keep such a thing secret being destroyed all so easily. "To think you'd let something as traumatizing as your first kiss slip by me, the counseling would have been going along smoothly by now."

"You were gonna put him in therapy?" Maaya asked, walking into the room, the thought bringing a sarcastic smile to Natsu's face.

"I was talking about me," Asuka said, the three students instantly looking as though they were struck by lightning. "To think that some immoral girl stole this boy's precious first kiss, and expected to get away with it; which reminds me; you two are also at fault for not stopping her in the first place! Had you been doing your jobs properly, Natsu-kun would not be in the state he's in," she said, Maaya's eye twitching continuously in anger at all the blame being placed on her.

"First I get blamed for letting Ryuzaki leaving the hospital," Maaya said, walking towards the headmistress while rolling the sleeve of her jacket up. "Now I'm getting blamed by some weirdo for another person's first kiss? It's like you're all trying to make my life miserable. I knew letting that brat in was a bad idea from the start, but did anybody listen? Of course not!" she shouted, her anger obviously subsided from her, now, easier breathing, but was still angry enough to bring her fist up towards Asuka who simply gave a small scoff at Maaya's actions.

"It's your own fault that nobody would go along with your opinion, Maaya," a voice from the other side of the room said. "You're like that old story of the boy who called out for danger when there was nothing there. You can't help but set up stupid pranks, and for that, your voice has increasingly become nothing more than another person simply chatting on to themselves. If you had actually listened to me like you were supposed to, you wouldn't have to deal with this kid," he said, walking over to Natsu. "Truthfully, I don't see anything wrong with him."

"A first impression is hardly enough to know how much of a wimp he is," Maaya said. "Why do you think he was running in here like a Growlithe when it comes time for a bath?"

"Well given the face that was chasing him," the man said, leaning against the desk next to Natsu. "Even a Hydreigon would turn tail, and beat it," he said, Maaya barely giving a sideways glance at him. "Oh, come on; is that any way to treat your older brother? Come on, give me a hug," he said, walking towards Maaya, his arms outstretched, receiving a quick punch in the gut.

"I never expected you to be this idiotic even around others, but you never disappoint in that department, Tetsuro," Maaya said, retracting her fist. "You and that idiot, Ryuzaki, would get along just fine if you ask me. Just get this over with so you can get out of here."

"I see her anger hasn't improved," Tetsuro said, straightening his coat, and running his fingers through his black hair. "But at least Amira-chan is still here to help her out with that kind of stuff," he said, looking back over at Maaya's friend, a wide smile on his face. "So, let's see, if her anger management is still an issue, I guess that means her grades haven't improved much either. Not that that was really expected in the long run," he said, Maaya not reacting. "You could at least show respect to those around you, it would be a decent start."

"You first," Maaya said. "Start treating me with a bit of respect for once in your life, and stop treating me like a little girl who can't do anything without her big brother around. I'm not going to change just because you tell me to, and I will never do anything you tell me to."

"Then I guess that's why you lost to this kid," Tetsuro said, pointing over at Natsu. "He's more resilient, able to adapt with change, and because of that one trait, you will always be weaker than such a person," he said, Maaya quickly whipping around, her eyes showing a definite amount of anger at the notion. "Don't think my words have any meaning? Then maybe you won't mind giving me a taste of what you've actually been doing, and show your brother who is the greater fighting trainer," he suggested. "If you can actually manage to even defeat one of my pokémon, then I might consider not doing this every six months, and just let you live at this school without my interference. But if you can't even do that much, I think Natsu will be a much better battling teacher than you could ever do training by yourself," he said, both Natsu and Maaya dropping their jaws down to the ground.

"You can't be serious," Maaya said, looking down at Natsu. "How could I ever take a brat like this seriously? It's like having a Joltik teaching a Steelix; ineffective, and pathetic to watch."

"Then you shouldn't have any problems getting at least motivation for this kind of thing. We'll battle after your classes today, so save the time, and we'll get this over with," Tetsuro said, gripping Natsu by the back of his collar. "Saruwatari-sensei, I'll be taking this little guy out for a talk, if you don't mind. There're a few things that I want to discuss with him, so I'll return him in a couple of hours before my battle with my little sister, is that okay?"

"Only if you promise to return him to me directly," Asuka said, Natsu trembling slightly at the sound of her voice. "Other than that, just don't be too rough with him."

"Thanks," he said with a wide smile on his face as he dragged Natsu across the ground by the heels on the floor. "I look forward to our play-date, Maaya-chan," he said, walking away, Maaya's face not sharing in his amusement as she walked in the opposite towards her classroom, Amira following after her.

"Who does his think he is?" she asked, slamming her fist into the wall next to her. "Thinking that I'm not going to be able to beat even one of his pokémon; does that idiot really think that I'm that weak?" she asked, looking back at Amira, who stayed motionless even in the face of her violent tendencies. "You just don't understand, Amira, what it feels like to constantly have somebody look at you, and think that you're weaker than you really are, and you have to just sit there, and go along with him. After my mother died, Tetsuro was only thinking about me, and in reality, he should've been doing more for himself."

"_Maybe he wanted to do other things, but knew that you were more important,"_ Amira's notepad read. _"Like I wrote earlier, it's better to have somebody care about you too much then to have nobody care about you at all. Otherwise, the world just looks you over."_

"All I know is that I have to beat him in this battle, otherwise that brat, Natsu, is going to have to be my training teacher for who knows how long," Maaya said. "And that's all I need to know. This isn't going to be like that brat's battle with me, where he has to inspire his pokémon to fight for him. Mine already know what's at stake," she said, Hitmonchan walking out from the shadow of the hallway, slamming its fist together, a small gust of air travelling outward.

* * *

As the two entered the classroom, the only person they saw in his seat, or in the room for that matter, was Takeru, simply looking at everything he could with a small flicker of his eye. Above him, his Mothim able to fly around as spastically as it pleased without ramming into anything. With their classmate looking up, readjusting his cap, he nodded as a greeting to both of them, and just sat back in his seat, looking upwards to the ceiling. With a quick flick of his eye, Takeru watched Maaya sit down with a quick scoff in her voice as she folded her arms, and looked towards the window.

"You're having a problem with authority again, aren't you?" he asked, sitting up straight. "Whenever you try to position yourself away from others, it means the authority figures are pressuring you again to do better, am I right?" he asked, reading from his notes, Amira slightly impressed at his insight as Maaya simply gave him a spiteful look. "Followed by a glare that would otherwise intimidate the speaking person into submission, or put them on the receiving end of a quick punch to the head," he said, quickly ducking underneath one of Hitmonchan's fist, Mothim getting caught in the crossfire; the bug pokémon smashing against the ceiling. "I'm guessing that last part was because I didn't see the evil eye."

"Just shut up, would you," Maaya said. "I'm just tired of my brother treating me like a weak little girl. I don't think training _with_ your fighting pokémon is a synonym for weakness."

"Physically speaking, you wouldn't be wrong in that regard, but you have to keep in mind that your brother, Tetsuro is more of an intellectual in the areas of training, and he uses strategy within split seconds of a person's attack," Takeru said, Mothim struggling to get out of the indent in the wall. "I've noticed him battling on the professional circuit every now and again. He sure could use some polishing, I'll say that much, but otherwise, he's definitely on the same level as Natsu-kun. And that puts him above you in many regards."

"Why does everyone keep saying that that brat is more powerful than me?" Maaya asked, grabbing Takeru by the collar, and bringing their faces mere inches from each other. "It's not the trainer, but the pokémon who are the strong ones. In a war against pokémon and humans, it wouldn't even last for a few hours."

"True, but thankfully your put is rendered moot by the fact that pokémon hold no evil intentions, nor any kind of mind to rebel against humans," Takeru said. "But bringing it back to the point of Natsu-kun easily being stronger than you, it's because he learns through doing. His mind is one that doesn't stop thinking, and doesn't blank out whenever he's doing something. It's almost as if the stereotyping of guys and girls being dull on the one side and quick witted on the other is a bit of a misnomer when it comes to you two. You don't follow the traditional ideas of what a man and woman should be like, and that's what makes you strong in your own right, you're unique, and use that to your advantage."

"So how does that help me beat my brother in a battle?" Maaya asked.

"Essentially, it doesn't," Takeru said, looking back down at his notebook. "The fact that your brother and Natsu are so similar just means that fighting one is like the other, and you've already proven that battling against, as you put it, a Goth geek is something that may be too much for you to handle," he said, Maaya gaining a tighter grip on his collar. "Unless you learn to use that knowledge to your advantage," he said with a sneer as Maaya retreated back slightly confused.

"What are you talking about?" Maaya asked as Takeru hailed her over closer with his finger.

"I'm talking about this…," he said, whispering something into her ear as Amira tried to get close to hear. "If you can do that much, then your brother won't be as hard an opponent as he makes himself out to be, and in fact, you may find him gaining a bit more respect for you."

"_This isn't gonna end well, is it?" _Amira's notepad read, facing away from the others, thinking about whether or not any of this would bear fruit, or if it just mean another headache for Maaya.

* * *

Sitting across from each other on a small café table, two small cups of coffee in front of both of them, Natsu and Tetsuro looked at each other, the former hesitant to even reach out for his drink, noticing Tetsuro watching him so closely. Taking the first sip of his drink, Tetsuro let out a relieved sigh, placing it on the coaster in front of him, still noticing Natsu's unwilling attitude towards the gesture he was given.

"Trust me, I'm not as violent as my sister, you don't have to show any restraint around me, Natsu-kun," Tetsuro said, Natsu taking a small sip of his drink. "So, you think you'd consider being my sister's boyfriend?" he asked, Natsu instantly spitting out the contents of the drink off to the side. "Sorry, I guess that was a bit abrupt."

"A bit," Natsu agreed, taking a few deep breaths to regain his posture. "I don't think that Yoshida-senpai really likes me, though. You saw how she treats me most of the time."

"Yeah, but she treats me like that, and I'm her brother, that means that she's only mean when she likes a person," Tetsuro said, Natsu doing his best to keep form bursting out either laughing, or with the truth spilling out his mouth. "Besides, I heard she dressed you up like a girl a while back when you got that kiss of yours, so obviously she doesn't hate you completely."

"_This guy's a real idiot, isn't he?"_ Natsu asked, noticing the flamboyant nature that Tetsuro gave off, trying to find some way to bring the conversation to a more rational sense, if such a thing was possible. "So, why do you always check up on your sister?" he asked, Tetsuro looking confused. "I mean, if she really doesn't want you there, why do bother going to see her, anyway? It just seems like you're doing more harm than good."

Tetsuro let out a small sigh as he placed his head into his hand, supporting it on the table. "Our mother died when she was only six," he started, Natsu instantly losing any form of appetite in his stomach. "Our father left us before she could remember him, so we lived our lives just the two of us, and I think that I went wrong at least once at some point in our relationship. She was never a bad child, she just always had trouble with authority, never having an actual parent figure to set those guidelines, and as her brother, my commands never held much water. I was still in high school when it happened. Nothing I ever said got through to her, and every day I keep beating myself up about not being able to control her. Eventually it got to a state where she was no longer able to be controlled by me, so I sent her to the school here to try and get her to respect others. It hasn't gone so well, as you can plainly see. I just can't help but think I could've done more."

"I think Yoshida-senpai is lucky to have you, Tetsuro-san," Natsu said, looking down at his reflection in the cup. "It's easier to live with nobody to care about you when they aren't there, than it is when they're standing right in front of you," he said, Tetsuro noticing the change in his expression. "I can't help but think that if that was the way my life was, even if it was just one person who would've taken better care of me, I wouldn't be so afraid of others."

"I can see why all those girls back at that school are so taken by you, Natsu-kun," he said, Natsu blushing slightly at the thought. "People have specific auras around them at all times, and in your case, I think you give off an aura that makes others want to protect you, or make sure you don't feel unwelcome. It obviously hasn't reached my sister, but maybe after our battle, she'll see that her older brother is always right, and that there's still a lot that she has yet to learn."

"If you really believe that your sister hasn't learned anything, then I can't help but think that you'll lose this battle completely, Tetsuro-san," Natsu said, Maaya's brother looking down at him confused. "She's kind of mean to me, she doesn't know when to stop teasing me about being scared of her, and she's really violent with others, especially Judai and Takeru-senpai. And yet, she always tries her hardest in what she wants to do, and she really does care for people when the time truly demands her help. She knows what's important to her friends, and she's willing to do what needs to be done in order to make them happy. If you underestimate your own sister, you will lose."

Natsu stood up from where he sat, gave a small bow to Tetsuro, leaving the café, and the older man alone at the table, the latter still drinking his coffee, a sneer coming across his face. "You're an interesting kid, Natsu Kohashigawa, but you lack something that I think is essential to being a man good enough for my sister, aside from your lack of a backbone. All I think you need to learn is that there is a place for certain people, and that my sister will always be out of place," he said, looking behind him, both of his pokémon staring down at him, similar sneers on their faces.

* * *

Stretched out over the back of her chair as the teacher droned on whatever he was trying to get across to the students, Maaya continually looked back at her Hitmonchan, standing silently in the corner, leaning against the wall. Looking a bit further at the pokémon, she noticed the small scrapes, marks, and other old injuries on the fighting type's fists, chuckling silently as she looked back over towards the blackboard, the thought of her schooling and grades coming back to her, whatever smiled had managed to form quickly dimming. As she barely listened to the teacher with her arms folded, Maaya looked down into her desk, Hitmonlee's pokéball shrunken, but seemingly able to stare at her, its trainer releasing a small sigh.

"_Both of you are pretty interesting, aren't you?"_ she asked, almost as though she were actually speaking aloud to them. _"My brother almost had to steal you both from the dojo training center in our hometown to get you to me, and yet, nobody ever tried to stop him from giving you both to me. He's always worrying about me when he doesn't have to; putting so much pressure on the teachers at school to try harder with me, trying to turn me into the stereotypical girl, or even making me take those lessons to try and take my interest away from boxing, and whatnot. I never thought of pokémon as friends back then, but I realized a bit too quickly that if I was ever truly alone in the world, it would be because both of you weren't there in the long run. I'm gonna be counting on you guys; knowing my brother, he'll do the same thing as he always does, and turn this into a big show, but that could always work to my advantage,"_ she said, looking over at Takeru, noticing he was staring directly at her, his eyes never wavering from where they were set. _"Why does he have to be so creepy? It's like he's trying to talk to me like I'm trying to talk with my pokémon. I won't deny he's got talent, but he's nothing like the kind I like, but knowing my brother, any guy will do for me."_

With his Mothim seated on his head, Takeru looked back down at his notes, his eyes scanning over everything, simply looking up at the bug type with a grin. _"Maaya-san is too good to lose this kind of battle. My observations are too perfect for her to mess anything up; in the end, this will be one of my greatest achievements,"_ he said, Amira looking in between both of them, a bead of sweat dropping from her forehead.

"_Why do I feel like a side character?"_ she asked herself, the hours passing by all the quicker to the time just about everyone was waiting for.

* * *

The center battlefield was set all abuzz, Tetsuro in his white dress shirt, loosening up his tie, and tossing it off to the side as Maaya simply removed her jacket, and tossed both of her pokéballs in a single hand. Off all around the sides of the different points of the battlefield, the different dorm heads stared down at the battlefield from the hillside. Maaya looked at each of them, eventually stopping at Takeru and Amira, nodding at both of them as she turned to her brother, who was already staring at her with a mocking look in his eye.

"Could it be that you have a thing for that bug trainer?" he asked, pointing up at Takeru, his Mothim still fluttering behind him, eventually finding his way to his head. "Never pegged you as the kind to go for such a skinny guy, but then again, I never could predict anything about you."

"We came here to battle, not discuss my personal life," Maaya said, tossing both of her pokéballs into the air. "Show 'em what we can do, boys," she said, Hitmonchan and Hitmonlee both bursting out of the balls, making their fighting poses towards Tetsuro, who simply chuckled at both of the fighting pokémon.

"Don't forget that the only reason you have those two is because of your older brother," Tetsuro said. "And that without me, you wouldn't be able to do a lot of different things, so why not show me a least a little respect? Or how about give me a small 'thank you' every now and again?"

"In order to say such a phrase, you have to be thankful for what someone has done for you," Maaya said. "I think you've had enough to talk, let's get this going already," she said, Tetsuro nodding in agreement, tossing two pokéballs from his belt, both of the fighting types on the inside stomping on the outside; Sawk and Throh.

"Really?" Judai asked, looking at their pokémon choices. "We have one usin' Hitmonchan and Hitmonlee, and the other usin' Sawk and Throh? Ain't that just a bit too on the nose? Or am I the only one who finds this at all screwy?" he asked, looking back at forth between Natsu and Gabriel, both of them looking down, or up at him depending, with flat looks. "Okay, so it's just me. Ya have to admit, though, it does seem like this kind of battle is goin' to be pretty equal in terms of power given the pokémon choices."

"Which is why the winner will not be able to be decided based on just overall power alone, but off of strategy and psychological tactics," Gabriel explained. "A battle is based on the attributes of power, strategy, and psychology; the first one being about the different kinds of pokémon a person uses, adding in factors about pokémon type, matchups, and overall stat growth, and the other two are a bit more simplistic. Strategy is just how one uses their power, and psychology is the basis for how one would actually be able to pull off their strategy."

"So everything becomes intertwined in a battle," Natsu noticed, Gabriel nodded as June rode towards the side of the battlefield on the back of her Lairon.

"You both ready to start this thing?" she asked, lifting up her cane with a checkered flag attached to it. "Then do you thing," she said, quickly flipping the end of the cane down towards the ground, the second the fabric of the flag hit the ground, both Hitmonchan and Hitmonlee charging across the battlefield, Maaya not even uttering a word to command either of them.

"You think such a strategy would actually work?" Tetsuro asked, casting his hand outward. "Sawk, Low Sweep, and Throh, Circle Throw," he said calmly, looking out as both of his pokémon went out towards the two pokémon of his younger sister.

With Sawk making the first strike, the blue fighting type instantly dropped down to its hand, spinning around on the ground towards Hitmonlee, the kicking pokémon stopping in its tracks to watch out for the attack about to impact. As Sawk continued to move like a buzz saw towards Hitmonlee, the spinning fighting type placed its hand back on the ground, and made one final sweeping motion with its legs, but quickly found nothing in front of it. Left shocked at how easily it was dodged, Sawk was left unguarded as Hitmonlee attacked from the direct side with a high kick striking it on the head.

Seeing its partner fall back, Throh began charging after Hitmonchan, its arms outstretched, about to grab onto the punching pokémon, only to be completely blasted back by a single punch engulfed in flames. As Throh slid across the ground, eventually stopping next to where Sawk stood, still wavering in its footing from the quick attack from Hitmonlee, both looked at each other with Tetsuro looking down at Maaya with a raised eyebrow.

"Mildly impressive," he admitted, both of his pokémon making a fighting stance in front of him. "But it's not like such a straight forward approach is going to work on me in all of this. I learn too fast for you to be able to keep up, and therein lies your defeat," he said, Maaya simply holding up her hand, giving him a motion to make the next move. "Sawk, Karate Chop, and Throh, Seismic Toss," he ordered, both of the fighting pokémon instantly going into action.

Both of the fighting pokémon almost exploded from where they stood, charging at both Hitmonchan and Hitmonlee, the other duo simply stepping back away from the onslaught of attacks coming at them. With each chop or attempt at a grab, both Sawk and Throh sneered as their attacks eventually forced both Hitmonchan and Hitmonlee back against each other, in between two pokémon, completely capable of attack at the same time. Hitmonchan looked over at Maaya's direction, the girl not seeming to pay any attention as to what was happening, and instead was simply seated in place, her arms crossed over her chest, giving the punching pokémon an expectant look.

"I guess giving you those pokémon was a mistake, huh?" Tetsuro asked, making a similar pose to his sister, folding his arms across his chest. "They're helpless without somebody to guide them. Or maybe you've just been a lousy trainer," he said, snapping his fingers, Sawk and Throh charging at both Hitmonchan and Hitmonlee, the former of Maaya's pokémon's eyes tightening their focus on its trainer's older brother, brushing Hitmonlee's arms from behind him off of its side. "Now what?" he asked, Hitmonlee, sneering in its eyes, locking arms with Hitmonlee.

As Sawk and Throh continued to get closer to both of Maaya's pokémon, her own pokémon instantly went into action, Hitmonchan thrusting its arms upwards, launching Hitmonlee from where it stood, getting the literal leg up on Sawk, striking it across the face with a single kick. Taking a split second to check its partner, Throh turned back long enough to see a punch slam into its face with bolts of lightning charging across the entirety of it, staying in the same pose before relaxing, and turning back to Tetsuro, its eyes vindictive at his remark.

"It seems like your pokémon are more into this battle than you are, sis," he said, looking down at Maaya, who never looked directly at any of her pokémon, but instead, stared directly down to her brother. "You've been pretty quiet for a while now, what's wrong with you? I try for almost ten years to keep you from shooting of your mouth, and now I can't even get you to come back with a bit of witty banter. Something's obviously wrong with you."

"Unfortunately, Tetsuro-san, this is your one weakness that Maaya can exploit to defeat you," Takeru said from the sidelines, Tetsuro turning into his direction. "See, despite everything you've done to help your sister, you can't help but be narcissistic. You're one of those people who likes to hear themselves talk too much, and that's why it's an easy weakness to exploit."

"What are you talking about?" Tetsuro asked, Sawk and Throh reaching their feet back on the battlefield. "Is it really that easy to believe that I'm obsessed with myself?" he asked, every other person watching the battle nodding their heads in unison.

"See, Tetsuro-san, when you speak of yourself, you accentuate your own good qualities, and never admit that you're wrong in any way possible," Takeru said, pulling out his notepad. "I got to see you for a few minutes before Maaya reached the headmistress' office, and you're a book that just says, 'read me.' You are obsessed with making yourself look better, or becoming the center of attention wherever you go, and find no problem in making others feel inferior to you. However, theoretically speaking, if a person were to not note anything about in the least, positive or not, you would begin to think only on that, lose your focus, and ultimately lose any endeavor you strive for. That's why Maaya-san will not speak."

"Besides," Maaya said, finally speaking up. "In a battle, talking's just annoying," she said, Hitmonchan and Hitmonlee finally going on an offensive outburst, Hitmonchan's fists burning in an intense fire, and Hitmonlee's legs stretching as far as they would allow.

Before Tetsuro could command his pokémon, both Sawk and Throh were thrown across the stage, no verbal command coming from Maaya, Takeru watching every detail of how both of her pokémon were moving, his eyes widening in enthusiasm. As Tetsuro's focus continued to falter back and forth between from his sister's attitude, the battle, and the quick flickering of Takeru's eyes, he closed his eyes quickly, the sounds in his head echoing like a chorus of off key tubas. As he felt his breathing quicken, he suddenly stopped; stopped breathing, stopped thinking, and just listened to the sounds of the battle.

"_That's right, Tetsuro, there's nothing else you need to be concerned about,"_ he said to himself. _"She's your little sister, and she can't beat you. You've spent the latter part of your life to make sure she actually does the right thing, and now she's trying to take that away from you. Not anymore; I will always beat her!"_ he shouted in his head, snapping his eyes open. "Sawk and Throh, engage with the tumble maneuver!" he shouted, Throh sliding across the grassy field, and quickly lying down on his back, Sawk jumping up from behind him, and bounding from his feet.

After launching itself into the air, Sawk, began rolling end over end in the air, eventually extending its foot directly downward, aiming directly from Hitmonlee. As the karate pokémon made one final dive for Hitmonlee, the kicking pokémon caught its foot, and gave a small chuckle, but was caught off guard from the side kick from Sawk again, launching it across the field, Hitmonchan looking back to check on its partner. Turning back, Hitmonchan was charged at in the gut, the large form of Throh bashing it against the ground, pinning it to the ground.

"How do you like that?" Tetsuro asked, looking down at Maaya, surprised to find his sister still completely devoid of emotion, or reaction for that matter. "What now?"

"Maaya-san's been very good to disclose everything to me about your battling style, and I've been able to use that in every possible sequence conceivable for this battle," Takeru said, looking down at his notepad. "Here we go, noted that in time of a battle when he becomes overstressed by a battle he may lose, Tetsuro will shut off all other distractions, and pull off a single technique out of the opponent's cognitive reasoning. But there's one thing that you failed to idealize."

"And what's that?" Tetsuro asked.

"Maaya-chan already knows everything about you," June said from the opposite end of the sidelines. "Anything you can come up with for battle, she's already seen."

"Constantly being overbearing about your sister's wellbeing, and a compulsive need to make sure that she's always within your ever watchful eye has made you predictable to her," Takeru said, both he and Mothim sneering down at him. "Nothing you can do can surprise her, but everything she does will become a new discovery to you. Like this," he said, Tetsuro turning his attention back to the battlefield.

Just as Sawk and Throh were about to make another attacker against Maaya's pokémon, Hitmonchan instantly sprang up from the surprise attack, and blasted away from Throh, its fist engulfed in a harsh light. Turning to see the target of the attack, the Mach Punch attack struck Sawk directly across its abdomen, Hitmonlee rocketing from where it stood, its knee stretched outward, connecting instantly with Sawk's gut. Falling a few feet away from the other three pokémon, Sawk flew past Throh, the judo pokémon charging towards both of the pokémon, grabbing both of their arms, about to throw them against each other before fleeing a burning sensation above it.

Looking up, Throh saw Hitmonlee completely straight up and with its leg engulfed in flames, the kicking pokémon flipping downwards, striking Throh against its back, the target releasing both of the pokémon, Hitmonchan instantly crouching on the ground, and rocketing up with an uppercut of a Thunder Punch attack. As both of Tetsuro's pokémon stumbled to their feet from where they stood, their trainer was left in complete shock at the power Maaya's pokémon had, despite their not being commanded to use any of it. Taking a small step back, Tetsuro held his head almost as though he were in pain, and tried to remember any time as to when Maaya was somebody completely different.

"What happened to you, Maaya?" he asked, Maaya looking up at him with a quizzical look on her face. "I used to be the older brother you wanted to be exactly like, and were always proud of when you were more serious about school. And now, it's like your family no longer exists to you. Don't you ever even think to lament for what happened to our mother?" he asked, a small wince notable in Maaya's eyes from Takeru. "Do you even care that she's not here anymore?" he asked, Maaya finally standing up from where she sat, and began walking from one end of the battlefield to the other, never showing her eyes to anyone. "What now?" he asked.

"This," Maaya responded, swinging her fist directly against his jaw, Tetsuro falling to the ground, holding his jaw in pain. "Don't you ever say that I don't care she's dead. To me, nothing else could be more important than my family, but maybe it was you who forgot about being there for your family," she said, walking away, snapping her fingers as both Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan turned back to Sawk and Throh, the battle ending with the next few seconds, the winner, unanimously decided.

* * *

Maaya didn't stop walking away, even after she reached the other side of the battlefield, and just hailed her pokémon over towards her as she left her brother, and the other dorm heads at the site. Tetsuro stayed in shock, seeing both of his pokémon not only defeated, but no longer able to find any reason to fight her, staring back at their trainer, as though they knew what she was talking about, as opposed to Tetsuro. The other dorm heads stayed in silence as Maaya disappeared over the hillside to where the school stood, Takeru being the first to walk away, quickly writing down several notes, the others beginning to thin out before Tetsuro returned his pokémon, seeing Natsu still sitting down in the grass, looking at him.

"Guess you were right, kid," he said. "I underestimated her, and I really did pay for it in the end. Just tell me one thing," he said, looking at Natsu with a look of pleading in his eyes. "What did she mean when she said that _I_ was the one who forgot what it meant to be there for my family?" he asked, Natsu looking down at him with a solemn look in his eyes.

"If you have to ask that, then maybe you aren't ready to learn what it means," he said, walking away, Tetsuro left alone in the grass, looking towards the path that Maaya had walked off in.

* * *

Off in the ghost dorm, Natsu and the other dorm heads, with the exception of Maaya, sat around the different furnishings, Koichi looking back at them, his eyes studying their moods, seeing the most feeling in Takeru, but that may have had more to do with his compulsions. Walking out from the small kitchen area, the teacher looked down at his students, in his class or not, sitting in between Natsu and Judai.

"So, how do you think that Tetsuro guy is holding up?" he asked them, nobody able to answer his question. "You know, I used to know Tetsuro back when he was in high school," he said, the others looking up at him as he stood back up. "He's what, twenty three right now? That would have made Maaya about ten when I knew Tetsuro. I had just started teaching her at the school, and he was in my first year class. I don't know if you noticed, but he was always thinking about something else when he was there, and was never focused on my lessons. Good thing he had an eidetic memory. Everything I said, whether he listened or not, would go in, and stay trapped."

"Tetsuro-san's idiosyncrasies are based on his caring for his sister," Takeru said. "An idiot could figure that out. By the time that this would've happened, Maaya-san's mother would have been dead for about three years from the way I hear it," he said, the other's looking at both him and Amira, knowing both to be in the same class as Maaya. "She has no problem talking about it. It obviously didn't have as much of an effect on her as it did Tetsuro-san, but that might have been more due to her age at the time, and the lack of a father from the beginning. She was already used to not living with an ever present parent unlike Tetsuro-san, and that's where things began to separate."

"Separate?" Gabriel questioned, the other's looking at Takeru as he sat back, and crossed one of his legs over the other, his Mothim fluttering behind him.

"The prevailing theory of pokémon evolution is that all DNA traits came from the ancient pokémon Mew," he began. "But at some point, diversity between pokémon species would have to come about at some point, otherwise every pokémon would be the same Mew creature. These are called separation points in history, times in which the species of a certain pokémon began to branch off from the prevailing ancestor. In this case, Tetsuro represents the prevailing ancestors, an entity that grew up with the presence of both parents, and an ever present authority, which became his behavioral structure. However, with the change in environment, in this case, the lack of a presence of the father, and the death of her mother, Maaya is an evolved being, per se, her behavior to be self-sufficient, and not so dependent on another person. It's why some species of pokémon don't get along with each other, aside from their personality differences. The differences in cultural behavior cause discrepancies among how the different pokémon are to act."

"So, in other words, you're saying that because Maaya has grown up to take care of herself, and Tetsuro's mindset is to take care of the younger of his 'species,' then it explains why he's always so protective of her?" Gabriel asked, Takeru nodding. "But how does this help us figure out what Maaya was talking about? I say we have to help Tetsuro understand this, otherwise this could turn into a real problematic family, and that's the last kind of ammunition that Maaya needs."

"Leave that to me," Takeru said, standing up, leaving the others in the ghost dorm. "Out of curiosity, where's the gym?" he asked, sticking his head back in a second later, the others all falling to the floor in a large heap. "Give me a break, you think this goes to work out?" he asked, pointing up at his Mothim, following its movements expertly with his finger.

* * *

With the constant sound of pounding against the punching bag in the small room, Maaya continued to gain speed as her anger rose at the sound of her brother's comment echoing in her head. _"Do you even she's not here anymore?"_ was the only line in her head, replaying quicker and quicker, as the dent in the punching bag began to deepen with her constant rage filled punches. With the final comment shouting out to her, Maaya quickly spun on one of her feet, and delivered a quick kick to the side of the bag, sweat dripping from the ends of her hair, Hitmonchan and Hitmonlee both trying to keep their composure at her apparent anger.

"Is it safe to approach?" a voice called out from the hallway, the last sound from the strike having scare most of the people in the gym already, Takeru's current body type not fitting in as well with the demographic of the people working out around him. "I wouldn't want to anger you any further, and I like where my jaw is just fine," he said, lining his mandible.

"I'm not mad at you, not in the slightest," Maaya said, pulling off the knots of her punching gloves with her teeth. "I'm more mad at my brother than anything, but more disappointed in him that he really thinks that I feel nothing for our mother after she died. Can you believe he said something like that? How insensitive of a brother can you get?"

"Well, I don't have a brother, and barely any friends, and my parents aren't a part of my life anymore, so I can't help you there," Takeru said, pulling out his notepad. "But I can tell you this much," he began, clearing his throat. "This is from the day that I joined your class in our first year, 'Maaya Yoshida, fighting dorm member, so not a whole lot of danger with the type match ups. She seems kinda violent overall, and definitely isn't the kind to be approachable in the remote chance I need a date for anything, but I digress. But there is definitely something about her that makes my eye look at her more, but I can't quite understand it yet,'" he read, turning to another page. "This is what I wrote about you when I found out we were in the same class this year, 'Looks like I have to suffer another year with her again. Too bad I could never find out what was so intriguing about her last time, but who knows, maybe there is such a thing as fate, but if that were the case, Mothim would be able to fly straight. But there was something last year that made me think differently about her, even if just for a second,'" he read, placing his notepad off to his side.

"What'd you write?" she asked, trying to peek over at the notebook before it disappeared into his bag. "You come all this way to _not_ tell em what you write about me?" she asked, going back to the bag, about to her gloves back on. "Whatever, I don't have time for this."

"Even if it was just for a second, I could see that she was a stronger person than I could ever be," Takeru began saying, seated down on one of the benches, his Mothim gripping onto his cap. "I happened to see her with her brother, probably some kind of academic check-up, or something like that, not that I really cared. The headmistress asked her something, and the way she answered made me realize that she was stronger than any of the people in this whole institution could ever be. She asked why it was her brother coming in to check on her, and she said, 'There's really no other option. My mom's dead, and my father wouldn't give a Rattata's backside about us even if he were here, so this is what I'm stuck with,'" he recited from memory, Maaya's eyes filled with shock as she found her way to a seat directly behind her.

"You remembered all of that from six months ago?" she asked, unable to believe what she was hearing. "You really are crazy."

"What's crazy is the fact that I couldn't see that back then, I couldn't see what was so obvious to me," he said, sitting back as far as he could against the wall. "What intrigued me about you was that you were resilient to the change of your mother's death, and it had nothing to do with you not having the other parental figure. Everything I wanted to know about was answered with those past few lines, and for this next part, I have to apologize."

"And why's that?" Maaya asked.

"Because I used to think that you were completely, and emotionally dead inside, unable to feel the pain of losing a person that close to you, and now seeing how you attacked your brother for saying the same thing, I'm beginning to understand what I've always wanted to know about you," Takeru said, standing up, his Mothim beginning to flutter around again. "That it took more strength to accept that reality, instead of grieving over what was lost for ten years. You're logical overall, and you understand how the world really works, and that crying over what is lost just isn't worth it."

"You're only half right about that," Maaya said. "It hurts that I don't get to talk to my mother anymore, but I can't help but feel a bit more free to learn now that she isn't here. If it were under different circumstances, then maybe I wouldn't have to be so irritable all the time. There's just a lot that irritates me, if you haven't noticed," she said, both of them hearing a large clanging sound from the hallway, Takeru feeling the top of his cap, Mothim no longer on top of his head.

"You ain't the only one, let me tell you," he said, walking out of the room momentarily over to where the sound came from. "I. Told. You. A. Thousand. Times!" he said, slapping something in between each word, coming back out, his Mothim back on his head, but with bent wings, and a dazed look on his face. "As you were," he said, Maaya barely able to keep herself from laughing at the way his pokémon looked, eventually bursting into a fit of laughter as Takeru smiled back.

"How can somebody make me feel better by having such a clumsy pokémon?" Maaya asked.

"I don't know how, but what I'd really like to know how this thing has survived for so long," he said.

"By running into things?" Maaya asked.

"No, by how many times I've tried to teach it to fly straight," Takeru said, Maaya not able to help but laugh again at him and his disoriented pokémon. "You know, your brother is going to be leaving in about an hour, and he's still confused by what you told him, and maybe it'd be good if you just told him what you meant by whatever it was."

"He also wants me to call him 'Nii-chan,' again, but that was gone when he stopped believing in me as a person, and just started looking at me as nothing more than a little girl unable to tie her own shoes," Maaya responded. "If he wants to hear the answer, it'll have to be from someone else," she said, Takeru nodding in understanding as he began walking away. "Where you going?"

"To help you both fix your problems," Takeru said, walking out of the gym, leaving Maaya alone with both of her pokémon, Hitmonchan giving her an expectant look as Hitmonlee simply chuckled in this expression of its eyes.

"Don't make me feel guilty for that jerk of a brother," Maaya said as both of their stares lingered, Maaya letting out a groan of frustration as she stood up from where she sat, draping a towel over her hair, beginning to walk out of the gym. "I'm only doing this to get both of you off of my back, you know that right?" she asked, both of her pokémon giving sarcastic nods as she groaned again, and smashed her hand against the wall, everybody in the gymnasium jumping at the sudden sound. "Idiots."

* * *

With his car's engine running, Tetsuro stood on the outside of the driver's door, leaning against it with a cigarette hanging from the end of his mouth, the smoke trailing towards the sky. As he took it out of his mouth to tap the loose ends of the paper from the roll, Tetsuro looked back out, and began reaching for his car door to leave the school building, averting his eyes only slightly to see somebody coming up over the horizon of the hillside, both Takeru and Maaya running towards him, a smile beginning to appear on his face.

"So, anything you want to say to me?" he asked, looking down at both of the younger students, a haughty look on his face that was completely destroyed by his Sawk slapping him in his back, the cigarette falling out form his mouth, and to the ground. "Fine. I'm sorry for what I said to you earlier, Maaya. It wasn't right for me to say that I was the only one to care about mom dying, and maybe you're just grieving in your own way that I don't understand."

"Doesn't really narrow that down too much, now does it?" Maaya asked, her brother wincing slightly. "But I do have something to say to you. When I said that you forgot what it mean to be there for your family, maybe I was also out of line for that, and I guess I'm sorry," she said, Hitmonchan bumping her lightly with a fist. "Fine. I really am sorry for confusing you, but you and I just think really differently. You think being there for me is being there literally, holding my hand so I won't get hurt while walking across the street, and I think of it as just supporting me in my own decisions, and trusting me when I want to do something."

"I sense your influence in this, right?" Tetsuro asked Takeru, the latter turning away with his pokémon doing the same. "But I do understand where you're coming from, Maaya. You and I think all too differently, and maybe one day, who knows, you may start to think the right way…like me," he said, Sawk, Throh, Maaya, Hitmonchan, and Hitmonlee all taking a crack at him. "Okay, maybe I should rephrase that," he said, weakly, lying on the ground, standing up as quickly as his injuries would allow.

"Just admit that I've finally grown up, and I don't need you for everything anymore," Maaya said. "I'll never stop needing a big brother," she said, smiling slightly, Tetsuro slowly forming a smile before nodding, climbing into his car, opening the window, and looking over at Takeru.

"Hey, bug boy," he started. "I know it was mostly you helping my little sister to win, and I have one thing to say to you," he said, the vindictive nature of his voice beginning to show through. "Take care of my sister, will you? I don't think that I'll be able to do as good a job as you," he said, winking over at Takeru and Mothim, both of them slightly confused by his meaning. "Don't let this one go, sis," he said, winking at Maaya too, his sister's face instantly becoming a tinted red color before her anger reached the boiling point, chasing after his car even as he was more than half a mile away.

"Nii-chan, you idiot!" she shouted at the top of her lungs as the sound echoed through to her brother, a small tear appearing in the corner of his eye.

"Hey, guys," Tetsuro started, looking back at his pokémon. "You know the stories of Aura, and how it's supposed to be in each of us, and that it represents something different in each of us. I'd be fine with saying that my little sister, Maaya, is the one with the Aura of Strength; strength in her body, and strength in the ability to look past what's happened, accept it, and live her life. And that's why she's always been stronger than me."

* * *

Character Appearances:

Maaya Yoshida: Hitmonchan & Hitmonlee. emmausgirl94

Judai Ryuzaki: Monferno & Torkoal. Jexo

Natsu Kohashigawa: Lampent & Golett. NightFall00

Amira Khumalo: Kirlia & Duosion. FlyPandaBear

Takeru Sanjero: Mothim & Heracross. Moth's Aflame

Gabriel Volantis: Archen & Tirtouga. WereDragon EX

June Kurosaki: Lairon & Skarmory. Lady Island Rose

* * *

Sorry for not being able to update for the past few weeks, but my computer was having a small problem that didn't get resolved until this afternoon, and now I can finally get some work done, school or otherwise. I was already about fourteen pages into this chapter anyway, so I figured I would finish it before working on any of my other stories. If luck is on my side, I may be working on my magic story if any of you still remember that. I'm still trying to decide which of my stories will be deleted, but I do have plans for another story when the full listing of X and Y pokémon, or the Kalos region, comes out. Well, I hope you had fun with this last chapter, focusing on emmausgirl94's character Maaya. She's a fun character, mostly because she's the only one completely against Natsu, and I can just do so much with that. Well, until next time, ja nee.


	9. The Truth in Terror

Hey guys, NightFall here, with the next installment of HDD, and I'll say it right now that this is a chapter that I've wanted to do for a long time since I decided to do these chapters about the different characters, but then again that's more to do with the fact that I've also been thinking about different situations for each one. With this chapter, I'm going back to a character that I think needs more touching on, and if that isn't any indication enough, then the first few lines of the chapter will help you to figure that part out. I'm kinda surprised, to be honest, at some of your reactions to my making the MaayaxTakeru shipping, although, I did have plans for each of the characters to be paired up with someone eventually, well, not really, but I'm figuring it out as I go along. The only problem with shipping is that I'm not very good at it, and maybe throughout the next chapters, I'll be able to get better, and make a story you're all sure to enjoy.

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN POKÉMON, BECAUSE IF I DID, GHOSTS AND DRAGONS WOULD NOT BE WEAK TO THEMSELVES.**

* * *

Chapter 8: The Truth in Terror

What's the thing that you're most afraid of? The one thing that chills your blood solid, and makes it impossible to breathe; think about what that is for you? For everybody, there is something that makes them so afraid, they can barely move, or they run away in terror, normally never to venture in the same area until they know it to be safe. Fear is, unfortunately, a very powerful and unrelenting force against anyone, not just those who seem to be cowards by nature. There is nobody who walks this earth and doesn't, hasn't, or will not have a sense of fear at some time in their life, but the difference between people who understand this, and those who give themselves up to fear is simply this; a life. It was once said that if we all things to scare us, life itself would no longer be worth living; and this is where the true defining line comes into play. The line between whether or not you lose yourself to your fears, or you engage a sense of courage, whether to stand up to your fear, or, an even scarier idea, admitting that you are indeed afraid of what is facing you.

* * *

The room was dark, and yet everything could be seen, the distinct smell of a small bottle wafting through the air towards where she sat, tears streaming down her face. All her ears could hear were the stomping sounds of what sounded like hundreds of Mamoswine, all aimed at her, ready to end it all, and yet they wouldn't dare grant her that satisfaction. All she could do was curl into a ball, and wait for whether or not it would be safe, or until the smell was gone, and the booming sounds were finally gone. But she knew something very sad that would follow her around for the rest of her life…she would never be safe, the stench would stain her nose, and the stomping would deafen her ears for all eternity. As she looked up, all that was there was a gleaming set of teeth from a smile that meant only one thing for her; terror.

As her eyes shot open, and her back sprang up out of reflex, Amira began breathing as deeply as she could, sweat dropping from the tips of her bangs and forehead, Kirlia and Duosion both springing from the top bunk of her room to where she was. As she regained control of her lungs, Amira began looking down at her hand, and then clenched her fist as tightly as she could, releasing it as she turned back over towards her pokémon, a forced smile on her face, easily accepted by Duosion, who was more interested in going back to sleep. Kirlia however stood back on its feet, and stared directly into Amira's eyes, a light membrane surrounding the irises.

"I'm fine, Kirlia," Amira tried to assure, but was not received by her partner. "No matter what I say, it's not going to change your mind, will it?" she asked, Kirlia gently spreading the Hypnosis attack from where it stood to where Amira sat up, Kirlia slowly placing her head back on the pillow as her trainer drifted back off to sleep; hopefully one that didn't include a constant reminder of who Amira truly was all those years back.

Despite being under the Hypnosis' influence, Amira was still partially conscious, having grown accustomed to being put to sleep with the same tactic over time, barely keeping her eyes open as she stared at the bed above her. _"I wonder if he's having any other problems with getting used to others, still?"_ she questioned, allowing the influence of the attack to put her blissfully to sleep. After falling back to sleep, Kirlia stood up from where it stood on its twig-like legs, and looked over at the locked journal Amira was writing in the evening before, silently walking towards.

Quietly unlatching the lock on the small book, Kirlia looked down at the last page Amira wrote in, reading it to itself, and then looking up at its sleeping trainer. _"It's not getting much easier for me to get used to others yet. Maaya-chan is still my only friend I can handle for a long time, but I really want to be friends with her like Natsu-kun and Judai-kun are. He's really amazing when I think about it, Natsu-kun. He's been going to this school for about five or six weeks, and already many of his own fears are beginning to fade away. I wonder if there's anything I can do to make it so much easier for me to the same thing. Maybe that way I can finally stand up for myself when that monster comes back for me."_ After closing the journal, Kirlia relocked the latch, and floated back up to the top bunk with Duosion, a smile on both of their faces, knowing what would be the best way for Amira to get rid of her fears, whether she liked it or not.

* * *

The next morning came all too early for Amira's liking, having woken up halfway through the night, but she gave in fairly quickly to the sun's rays peeking through her window, climbing out of her bed, and turning towards her desk where both Kirlia and Duosion sat.

"Am I in trouble?" she asked both of her pokémon, the two sneering at her as Kirlia levitated a small day planner towards her, having one of the subjects highlighted. "Part-time job? I don't have a part-time job," she said, both Kirlia and Duosion chuckling as Amira quickly became aware of the situation they were making for her.

Within a few minutes, Amira was being forced down the staircase, her legs moving only by the influence of her pokémon's psychic attacks, the struggling of her body apparent as she took each step down the staircase. Resisting silently against both of them, Amira was forced outside of her dorm, and looked out at the scenery of the campus before being pushed forward by her pokémon.

"_Let me go, you two,"_ she commanded, neither of her pokémon listening to her thoughts as she dragged her feet against the floorboards of the front porch of the dorm. _"I'm not kidding, this is getting really old, really fast, and I don't want anyone thinking I'm being kidnapped by my own pokémon."_

Kirlia and Duosion, however, merely passed her off, and continued pulling her along the dirt road towards the train depot about a quarter mile off of campus, leading into Nimbasa City's main square. After passing by other people, staring at how Amira was walking, noticing the drag in her footsteps going in the opposite direction she was currently moving, the psychic trainer merely gave into her pokémon, letting out a depressed sigh, allowing both Kirlia and Duosion have their way, and walked alongside both of them.

"_Both of you are so spoiled,"_ Amira said to both of her pokémon. _"When did you two find the time to sign me up for a job off campus, anyway? It's not like there are any businesses even hiring, I checked, believe me,"_ she explained, both of her pokémon posing a questioning look to her as they showed her a flier. _"You can't be serious; I figured you two would know that even if that was the only option, I would never even consider going into a place like that."_

Amira's fear of what her pokémon had done was soon confirmed as they boarded the train, and she looked down at the application her pokémon had already filled out for her; the bright pink of the stationary sending a shiver down her spine as the subway car came to a stop. Staying determined to remain in her seat, Amira folded her arms over her chest, only to be picked up by both Kirlia and Duosion once again with their psychic power, the train leaving as soon as she stepped off, making her turn around with a look of despair, both of her pokémon sneering down at her, forcing her up the stairway back above ground.

"_I won't do this, do you hear me!"_ Amira shouted at her pokémon, neither of them paying any attention, Duosion just giving off a loud yawn for her to hear. _"This can't possibly get any worse for me, but I know you two are gonna find a way, aren't you?" _she asked, both of her pokémon turning to her with another evil grin as they motioned for the building on the application just ahead. _"I'm asking you two, please don't make me do this,"_ she pleaded, Kirlia and Duosion picking her up off of the ground, and placing her in front of them, extending her arm out.

* * *

Knowing what they were planning to do, Amira resisted as strongly as she could, trying to keep them from moving her hand any further to the door as they morphed it into a fist to knock it with. Gripping her right arm with her other hand to keep it from going any further, Amira continued to strain against her pokémon's psychic power, both of them giving one last push against Amira, her hand smashing against the door of the building. As her pokémon relaxed, Amira instantly stiffened as the doorknob in front of them began to turn with a young girl about Amira's age walking through, wearing an outfit that made the business of this place very clear to anyone.

"Welcome back to Café Assouplir, milady," the girl said, making a small curtsy in her maid outfit as Amira stared in silence as both her pokémon kept her from moving any further back. "Is there something I can help you with?" she asked, Kirlia's eyes glowing a light blue as Amira's hand shot up with the application in her hand.

"_Please say no,"_ Amira pleaded to herself.

"You wish to work here?" the girl asked, Duosion forcing her to nod as the girl's expression lit up as though she were just handed some kind of prize. "Oh, this must be some kind of work of fate to have such a beautiful girl such as yourself to join our family. Come in!" she said happily, grabbing Amira by the arm, beginning to drag her in.

The sudden contact with this girl quickly made Amira take in a sharp breath, looking down at the hand grasping her arm, the grip intense, and tightening as she led Amira through the brightly decorated room. With her eyes widening out of fear, Amira quickly jerked her arm back, grasping it quickly, trying to keep shuddering in terror, the girl knocked off of her feet, looking back at Amira, seeing her fight back her fear. For a few minutes it seemed like everyone in the small shop had turned to stare at Amira, the sight of her afraid of even a girl grabbing her with such force making them begin to walk towards her to see if she was okay.

"_Please get them away,"_ Amira pleaded to herself, instantly feeling the presences of the people around her beginning to dissipate, everyone around her whispering to those around them, trying to figure out what was wrong. _"What just happened?"_ she questioned, looking up, the sight of the girl that led her in front of her with a Graveler by her side, giving her a good idea.

"Are you okay?" the girl asked, kneeling down to eye level with Amira. "I didn't think you were the kind of girl that didn't like to be touched. You seem like a person that the boys all flock to. But you can be sure that if anyone tries to give you trouble, they'll have to get past me, and my partner here," she said, patting the top of the rock pokémon's head. "By the way, I don't think we've been introduced; I'm Natsuki Kobayashi," she said, extending her hand, Amira shying from the contact. "Sorry, it'll take some getting used to. Can I ask your name?"

"_Amira,"_ Amira wrote, showing her notepad to Natsuki. _"Amira Khumalo."_

"A pretty name for a pretty girl," Natsuki said, hailing over to the back room. "Come on, I'll show you everything you'll need to know while on the job," she said, Amira following after, holding her notebook behind her for both Kirlia and Duosion to see.

"_Thanks, you two,"_ she had written, both of her pokémon snickering as they followed their trainer into the back room, Graveler closing the door behind the two of them, a different sneer decorating his own face as it watched Natsuki and Amira go further into the back room.

* * *

Later in the day, a similar scene was being shown as Jiro and Judai both dragged Natsu along the sidewalks of Nimbasa, the ghost type trainer doing his best to keep from being pulled, literally, into another of their plans. Noticing how much of a struggle Natsu was putting up, Judai turned around, and noticed Lampent floating behind him, motioning to the ghost and fire type mix, the pokémon nodding in agreement as it began pushing Natsu in the same direction the other two were pulling him.

"It'd be easier for ya to just give it up, bro," Judai said, both he and Jiro beginning to strain while pulling Natsu along. "Come on, all we're askin' for is an hour, tops, at a little shop that just so happens to have their servers dress up as maids."

"It's a good day to be alive, isn't it?" Jiro asked. "And if I get a few more points on my card, I can get us free drinks if we come next week," he said, looking back at the other three, all of them sharing a similar look of distaste. "What, you have your hobbies, I have mine."

"Except mine don't involve goin' to this place more than once a month, if that," Judai responded. "I'm just tryin' to get my bro to be a bit more comfortable around the ladies. He's already charmin' most of 'em, so why not do a bit better, and get him to like it while doin' so?" he asked, Natsu making one final pull against the other two, which ultimately ended in his tripping over his own foot, Lampent keeping him up, but now, no longer able to resist.

"Ah, the spoils of victory," Jiro said, reaching the door to the café with the French title. "Ah, the good old Café Assouplir, one of the truly great places in Nimbasa to go to. Trust me, this place will turn you into a real man, or my name's not Jiro Matsushita," he said.

"Well then, ya better start thinkin' about a name change," Judai said, looking back down at Natsu, the young ghost trainer already out cold from looking at the young girl greeting them. "If this is how he reacts to a girl just talkin' to him, imagine how much of a smoke cloud is gonna appear over this entire establishment."

"Ah, Matsushita-sama," the girl started, looking at Jiro, the latter embarrassed by the title. "I see you have brought some new masters for us to serve. Would you be so kind as to introduce them to me?"

"Sure, Natsuki-chan," Jiro said, Judai doing his best to hold the barely conscious Natsu. "This is Judai Ryuzaki and Natsu Kohashigawa from my school. They're my underclassmen, and I thought it would be a good chance to show them some of the fun things to do around town."

"That, and help my bro grow a backbone around girls," Judai joked, holding up Natsu, Natsuki staring into his eyes, making his face turn beet red before going out cold once again. "See what I mean. It's a cool trick, it just gets a bit heavy when I'm the one that's gotta carry him."

"It just means you're a good friend," Natsuki said, showing all three in, their pokémon following after them. "Oh, since Matsushita-sama is one of our most well-behaved, and best customers, would it be all right if one of our newest members came to wait on you today?" she asked, Jiro nodding as his answer. "Thank you, Matsushita-sama; I'll go get her for all three of you. Are you sure he'll be okay?" she asked, pointing over at Natsu.

"If it doesn't happen, we figure somethin' must be wrong with him." Judai said jokingly, trying to get Natsu to wake up as Natsuki disappeared behind the back door. "So, exactly, how often do ya come in here, Jiro-senpai?" Judai asked, Jiro looking away, trying to avoid the question. "Come on, with how many girls you've hit on in the past two hours while on the train, I doubt the number of times you're in here'll surprise me," he said, Jiro leaning over the table, whispering the answer. "You, sir, need professional help, and not just a little bit."

"With how depressive my love life is, you kinda get noticed by people in this profession," Jiro said. "Besides, these kinds of places aren't as bad as they're made out to be on TV shows, and such. I usually just talk to the waitresses here, so it's never something that turns into what many people think. Who knows, maybe even the little guy will enjoy himself in here," he said, Natsu finally coming to his senses, looking around at the scenery, blush still covering his face.

"Man, this is a serious problem, bro," Judai said. "A lot of the guys in the school are still questionin' whether or not ya are a girl from how many times they've seen ya in the locker rooms. Sometimes it just turns into a bloodbath from the nosebleeds, and I'm gettin' tired of dealing with it."

"It's not as easy as it looks to get rid of a fear like this," Natsu simply said, the door from the back opening up, another of the waitresses walking towards their table, her head titled down, not wanting to look at who she was serving. "I've lived like this for a long time, and it's not as easy to just suddenly snap out of something like this," he explained, a glass of water being placed in front of him, forcing him to look up at the waitress, both of their faces erupting into a deep red shade.

Seeing Natsu's reaction to the girl standing in front of them, Judai looked up as well, a bewildered look decorating his face as he recognized the dark skinned Amira standing in front of them, wearing a black dress with white laced lining, and a white headband to keep her hair back. "Well, it just seems like me and my bro are always in the middle of seein' others the way they _don't_ want to see them. How ya doin', Amira-senpai?" he asked, Amira blush not leaving her face as she began stuttering in her writing, quickly ducking back into the back room, Jiro leaning over his chair.

"Dang, she looked good like that," he said, looking back over at Natsu, his faced still in a daze, and colored a dark shade of red, both he and Judai noticing the steam coming from the ghost trainer's head. "Here we go," Jiro said, counting down on his fingers until Natsu fell back into his chair, and to the ground.

"In all fairness, he did see his crush in a maid outfit," Judai said. "That'd put anyone into a catatonic state. But for my bro, it probably just about killed him."

"A fair assumption," Jiro said, both of them looking down at Natsu, still seeing his mind wander after seeing Amira in the way she was dressed, the latter peeking through the door, still afraid of coming any closer for fear of making the situation worse, or causing any further damage to Natsu's psyche.

"So, who was that?" Natsuki asked from behind her. "Obviously, one of those boys has been targeted by our new Amira-chan, and the rest of want are gonna wanna know so we can have some real fun with you, if you get my meaning."

"_They're my classmates,"_ Amira wrote. _"The smallest one is just afraid of girls, and I just didn't want to get him hurt by showing up like this,"_ she continued, Natsuki looking at her with a questioning look on her eyes. _"What?"_

"I've been working with girls of all kinds for the past three years in this place," she answered. "I can tell when one of them is lying, especially if they write it down. I've had three other girls communicate with the writing board before, it's not a new gimmick, trust me. You seriously have a thing for that little guy, Natsu-kun, don't you?" she asked, Amira blushing, trying to avoid the question. "Oh, I wouldn't worry about it. I think he likes you in the same way," she whispered to her. "Although, with the way he looks, it is quite a shame he's a guy; put him in one of these uniforms, and we could market to both guys and girls."

"_Please don't do that kind of stuff to him,"_ Amira wrote down. _"He's already gone through enough with other girls, I don't think we should make it any worse for him."_

"What happens if it's an unavoidable situation?" Natsuki asked, Amira looking at her confused. "I'll be right back, and I'll be sure to get you some alone time with your little friend; it's how to start any kind of relationship," she said, walking out of the back room, Amira about to step out of the room, but gripped onto her own arm in fear, afraid of speaking up against her, simply sticking her head out of the door, trying to see what Natsuki was going to do.

* * *

From where she watched, Amira could see Natsuki walk up to the table where Jiro, Judai, and Natsu were seated, seemingly apologizing for her own behavior. From what she could see, Natsu was still nervous, just now able to keep himself from falling back over, but not able to face Natsuki, despite the latter ending up right behind him, reaching around to clean up part of the table. Slightly annoyed by seeing her new coworker next to Natsu, Amira swallowed her anger, and continued to watch, and suddenly found herself in shock as the next thing she saw were Natsu's clothes dripping with the water she had brought them earlier.

"Oh, my sincerest apologies, sir," Natsuki said, feigning an attempt at drying his clothes, giving a wink off to Amira. "I guess we'll have to dry you off, and dry your clothes off. We'll have to find something else for you to wear until then," she said.

"_Say what?"_ Natsu, Amira, Judai, and Jiro all said to their own selves at the same time, Natsu quickly getting whisked into the back room.

"Amira-chan, will you help our customer out of those wet clothes?" Natsuki asked, Natsu and Amira both turning to her as though she were crazy, although by this point, she may as well have been._ "You're not making this easy, you know, girl,"_ Natsuki said, grabbing Natsu's shoulder, the latter shuddering slightly from the water's near frigid temperature. "At least, find something he can wear," she said, Amira nodding, hoping to find something less than feminine, trying to preserve whatever kind of masculinity he had left.

Listening at the door, Judai and Jiro leaned closer, hearing a series of fumbling around in the other room, three different voices mixed with each other. Hearing several indistinct sounds, both Judai and Jiro began making their own interpretations of what was happening on the other side of the door, Jiro's causing a small trickle of blood to begin travelling down his nose.

"Sure have been in there a while," Judai said. "What do you think's goin' on?" he asked, noticing Jiro twitching on the ground with the blood still pooling around the top of his lip. "I obviously asked the wrong person," he said, turning back to the door, only to hear the front door swing open, smacking one of the patrons across the face, an all too familiar face standing in the doorway.

"Alright, where is she?" Maaya shouted into the café's confines. "I know you have my friend, and I'm not leaving this dump unless I get her out of here," she said, walking in, Takeru following after her. "What are you two doing here?"

"Well it was the three of us, but one of the other maids had a little accident with our third, and he's in there, right now," Judai said. "The better question, is what are ya two doin' here, and better yet, why are ya here as a 'two'?" he asked, noticing Takeru staring in all different directions, instantly captivated with everything happening in the small shop.

"My friend heard that Amira-san got prior approval from the headmistress to work off campus, and finally found a job this morning, but she decided that working at a maid café was less than acceptable for her," Takeru explained. "I, for one, have been fascinated with ideals of a maid café, and simply joined in so I could conduct my research. Out of idle curiosity, who was the third in your group of three?" he asked, both Jiro and Judai turning away to avoid the question.

"No way!" Maaya shouted. "You dragged that little brat, Natsu, with you to a place like this? How fast did it take him to pass out after he got in? Or did he even make it that far?" she asked, neither of them hoping to inform her she was right. "Wait a sec, if Natsu's in there, and he had an accident with another of the maids, that can only mean one thing, and I have to see this."

"No ya don't," Judai said, hearing a series of footsteps approaching the door. _"Oh please no,"_ he pleaded, Natsu being the first pushed out the door, wearing a similar dress to Amira's, who followed closely after. _"Please no reaction, please no reaction, please no reaction."_

Despite his silent prayer, Judai looked back over at Jiro, seeing him back on the ground twitching continuously within a puddle of his own blood, and Maaya unable to control her laughter as Natsu let out a depressed sigh. Takeru simply sat down at one of the tables, quickly writing everything he saw in his small notepad, not even looking as he grabbed for one of the glasses of water presented to him by another of the waitresses.

"This is too rich," Maaya said, turning back to Amira. "Well, now that that's over with, let's get out of here, Amira. This place it fine for a kid like that brat, but for a girl who still has better options, you don't have to work here, and even if you say that you'll stay here, I won't accept that kind of decision," she said, beginning to walk towards her, quickly being cut off by Natsuki. "What's your problem? Give me back my friend, and we'll forget this all happened, well, except for this."

"As the manager for this establishment, I cannot allow you to do anything to those that wear the noble garb of the maid," Natsuki said. "As long as Amira-chan is on her shift, and until Natsu-kun's clothes finish drying off, they will not be leaving this place, unless if it is of their own accord, and nobody, especially you, can change this decision."

"You're cruisin' for a bruisin', girlie," Maaya said, rolling up one of her sleeves. "I said I'm taking my friend out of here, and that's that," she said, walking past Natsuki, only to see Amira's notepad staring her in the face.

"_Please just let me finish this one day, and then I'll decide whether or not I'll quit,"_ Amira wrote, her hands shaking out of fear from going against Maaya, her friend looking down at it, and then back up at her, seeing her trying to keep her grip on the notepad despite her fear.

"If one guy makes the wrong move against you, that does it, and we leave once and for all, okay?" Maaya said, Amira looking up at her with a smile, thanking her silently, Natsuki chuckling as she looked back down at Natsu leading him back into the back room. "That kid would probably be good for business if you decide to rent him out to the girls that come into this place," she said, Natsuki chuckling again as Natsu bolted for the back door.

"Are you sure you're okay with leaving our classmate like this?" Takeru asked. "From what I've seen, your friends are the most important parts of your family to you, and you'd never compromise on dealing with people that would hurt them."

"Amira's not doing this for the sake of more money, or even for the sake of just gaining a life skill, not that this job would qualify," Maaya started. "She's sticking with it because she knows it can help her overcome her fear of speaking to others, and to help with another fear she has. But something like that isn't going to happen if she does this for a single day. She's going to stick with it to get the memory of that man out of her life forever, and finally live her life."

"Living the way she has is something most of us can scarcely imagine," Takeru said. "But for her, it acts as though it repeats itself, day after day, and yet must end for only that brief moment, making it all the more terrifying before it happens again. Out of twelve of us, I don't think any of us have experienced such hatred as much as she has, never having someone to even talk to."

"In order to ease her into this, we need to make sure nobody gets anywhere close to her," Maaya said, pulling out her phone as Takeru did the same. "We better call in the troops."

* * *

It didn't take long for the remaining six dorm heads to come to the maid café, Kaname acting all too eager as he stepped in, Gabriel behind him, trying not to look around aimlessly, the other three girls all looking around spitefully at the shop, June being the only exception.

"I suddenly have an urge to puke with all of these frills and everything," Sienna said, walking towards one of the back tables next to Mika and Mitsu, June seated next to Maaya and Takeru. "What kind of idiot gets turned on by this kind of thing?" she asked, looking back over at Kaname, seeing the dark trainer instantly stiffen his stance before shuffling towards the back of the shop. "I guess that kind of idiot."

"Every time I see these places on TV, it just shows woman as being objectified by a man's desires," Mitsu said, folding her arms across her chest with her eyes scanning the scenery. "I can't think of a single male who would actually look at this place as a simple shop."

"I actually find this kind of a place fascinating," Takeru said from the other table. "The design of the waitress' outfit is based on the traditional ideals of a French maid, which also explains the use of the French term for 'relax,' or 'soothe.' Essentially, this place is to give people a sense of pride in themselves, allowing them to be the kind of person they can never show, or have interactions with people that they never could before."

"Only Takeru-kun would come to a maid café, and not drool over these girls," Mika said, looking over at Gabriel, noticing he was leaning against the wall, not at all interested in the attire of the service provided. "Make that two examples. By the way, I heard Natsu-kun was already here, where is he?"

"In the back, currently waiting for his clothes to dry," Takeru said plainly, the other male dorm heads all turning to him with anger, as the other female dorm heads gained a sudden glint in their eye. "Did I say something wrong again?" he asked, Mika and June both bolting towards the door leading to the supply room. "Let me guess, it wasn't the best idea to tell them about Natsu possibly cross dressing as he once did before?" he asked, Judai and Gabriel both nodding in unison. "Noted."

Turning the doorknob silently, Mika and June both began to peek through the crack in the doorway, despite the latter not being able to see. As the two peered inside, Mika looked through the darkened storage room, instantly freezing in shock, bolting from the opening in the doorway, June reaching inside to see what she ran away from.

"It doesn't feel like Natsu-kun," June said, feeling a rough, rocky surface against her hand as she ran the appendage down the rounded figure. "Somehow, though, I feel that I should move right now, huh?" she asked, Natsuki peering from the other side with a large sneer on her face as she motioned for her Graveler.

"Nobody endangers one who wears the cloth," she said, June instantly staring up at her with her blind eyes. "Graveler, punish her," she commanded, the rock pokémon rearing one of its fists back, about to thrust it forward. _"Nobody does this in my store,"_ she said to herself as June instantly tried to back away from the attack, unable to feel anything in the different environment.

Unable to see the attack come at her, June instantly folded her body into a protective position, not noticing that the rock pokémon's fist had been stopped in mid-swing, a light blue membrane surrounding it with Amira standing next to her pokémon with her hand cast out. As Gabriel ducked under the fist, he picked up June, and nodded to Amira with a smile as he carried the steel trainer back to her table.

"Amira-chan, what are you doing?" Natsuki asked, looking down at Kirlia still holding Graveler's fist in place with no sign of letting go. "Those two were trying to assault Natsu-kun while he's suffering from this embarrassment, and now you're trying to keep me from delivering this punishment against them."

"_There's a difference between punishment, and just pointless violence," _Amira wrote. _"While I have no right to say this, but I believe that they were being harmless, and that no matter what you say, attacking a girl with your pokémon is no way to go about this,"_ she finished, Natsuki gritting her teeth as she hailed her pokémon back into the back room, looking spitefully at the psychic trainer.

"I've also dealt with girls like you with backbone," Natsuki said, walking past Amira. "I've broken them all, no matter how tough, but you really feel that way, you can leave for today, and we'll continue this tomorrow, whether with words, or the only power that really counts," she said, motioning towards the Kirlia giving her a similar look.

"_I'll gladly protect all my friends against anyone,"_ Amira wrote, walking into the back room, Natsu walking out at the same instance, his clothes still slightly damp, but still more comfortable for him rather than what he was forced to wear earlier, Mika giving a depressed sigh. As the door behind her closed, Amira instantly broke down to her knees, tears beginning to fall from her face. _"What am I doing? This is the way it always works,"_ she said, hiding her face in her hands. _"I begin to find my strength, and then somebody takes it away from me as quickly as it takes to throw a punch my way. Do you think I'm doing the right thing, Kirlia?" _she asked, looking up at her pokémon, the latter simply shrugging her shoulders, looking over at the boulder form of the Graveler, grunting at the two of them, Natsuki watching the scene from the small sliver of vision in the door.

"_I know just how to break you, Amira-chan,"_ she said, turning to where the other dorm heads were standing or sitting. _"And I swear that you'll definitely see things my way when we're done with our little disagreement. Everyone does."_

* * *

Back alone in her room, Amira was still brooding over her act of heroism back at the café, her face planted on her desk, holding a pen in one hand, her other keeping her journal steady, looking as though she were trying to write in, despite not having anything to say about what had happened. Looking back up at her two pokémon, Kirlia looking down at her with a smile of approval, as opposed to Duosion, the cell based pokémon simply looking down at her as though she didn't show off enough strength. Lifting her head back up to face the page of her journal, Amira began writing down her current thoughts, Duosion still being the only image in her mind.

"_I caught her as the Duosion she is now, and quite frankly, I still wonder if that was a good idea," _Amira wrote down. _"The pokémon records show that she was once an abandoned pokémon, never having to rely on another person, or pokémon, for that matter, to grow up, none of the guidance from other pokémon having helped her with such an attitude. And yet, there are things about her I'm glad make her who she is, it's like with Maaya-chan's Hitmonlee. The two don't get along very well, but when they really want to, they pull together, and become unstoppable. But Maaya-chan has such a strong presence, that it almost forces her pokémon into doing what she wants them to do. I just don't have that strength, and I don't think I ever will. Tomorrow I'm supposed to confront my supervisor about her tactics in keeping her customers in line, and yet, I don't know if I'm going to be able to go through with it. I want to protect my friends, but something keeps telling him that she'll just be a better battler because she's willing to do what it takes to win. Something I could never do…," _she continued before hearing a knock on her door.

Motioning for Kirlia, the psychic pokémon followed Amira's command, and opened the door, Natsu standing on the other side of it, all three in the room sharing a certain kind of surprise at the sight of the trainer and his Lampent behind him. Amira instantly closed, and locked her journal closed, walking up to Natsu, already writing in her notebook.

"_Is there something you wanted to talk about?"_ she wrote, Natsu nodding as his response.

"Um…Mika-senpai and June-senpai both wanted me to tell you that they said thanks for what happened earlier, and to tell you that you looked really cool when you were standing up for them despite what they were trying to do," Natsu said, his voice failing in several parts of the sentence.

"_You can tell them that I don't want it to think about it again,"_ Amira wrote. _"Something like that isn't what you should expect from someone like me. I don't think I can go through with the battle tomorrow. I know you must think I'm a coward for thinking that,"_ she said, turning away.

"I-I," Natsu began, stuttering slightly over his words, making Amira turn around, surprised to see him more vocal than usual. "I think that anybody who can stand up for their friends is no coward," he said, unable to face her as his face was covered in a red tint. "I couldn't do anything while I was watching what was going to happen to June-senpai, and yet you were able to talk back to her coworker, and show what you truly believed in."

"_There have been several times I wanted to say something about something, and just couldn't find the voice to do so,"_ Amira admitted, walking back into her room, allowing Natsu to follow her. _"If there was one thing I could always be sure of, it was that I would be afraid of others."_

Neither of them said anything after Natsu entered the room, both too flustered to say a word, barely able to look at each other, noticing that both had a face covered in blush. Both Kirlia and Duosion watched the two as Lampent floated towards the top bunk in Amira's room watching the two of them try to find something to say, neither succeeding. Lampent looked back down at Amira, noticing her rubbing the back of her neck, seeing a spot in her skin noticeably darker than the rest of her skin tone, and then looked back at both of her pokémon, the two nodding in affirmation of the ghost pokémon's suspicions; Amira was able to speak against violence because she was used to it. As Lampent was about to float back to get Natsu's attention until he noticed his trainer standing up.

"I think I've overstayed my welcome, I'll leave you alone with your thoughts," Natsu said, hailing for Lampent, the ghost and fire pokémon, instead releasing a small Hex attack, making Natsu trip over himself, and fall to the floor before reaching the door.

Seeing Amira get up to check on him, both Kirlia and Duosion released their own attacks, making her fall forward as well over to where Natsu was trying to get, the latter being pressed back down against his upperclassmen's weight. Opening their eyes at the same time, both Amira and Natsu found each other face to face, mere inches apart from each other, their lips looking as though they were preparing themselves for what would happen next. However, Natsu's own system kicked in, his head beginning to release a steady stream of vapor before he subsequently blacked out directly underneath Amira, the psychic trainer still in a daze from where she was.

Barely able to look back at her pokémon before they placed their psychic power over her, Amira found herself facing directly at Natsu unconscious form, her head being forced down towards his, the trainer knowing full well what her pokémon were planning. Raising her hand, Amira quickly clamped it down over Natsu's mouth, her lips coming into full contact with the back of her hand, both of her pokémon giving up on the endeavor. Staying there for several seconds, Amira quickly jumped back up, shivering at the thought of being that close to someone, seeing Natsu still breathing peacefully, completely unaware of what was happening.

"You two need to learn that you can't force something on some people, Natsu-kun in particular," she said, both of her pokémon sneering at her with a mischievous look in their eyes. "Lampent, take him back to his dorm," she said, Lampent bowing to her, wrapping one of its arms around Natsu's back to support him on the way out.

On the way out of the dorm, Lampent noticed Natsu beginning to stir from his current state, able to walk by himself on the way out of the psychic dorm, some of the other students noticing the way he walked out of. As one of the students walked back to Amira's room, she saw the head of their dorm lecturing both of her pokémon, chuckling slightly.

"I don't want you two forcing Natsu-kun into anything, again, do you hear me?" she asked, both of her pokémon nodding unconvincingly, simply passing off her words as nothing. _"That's right, why should they listen to me, maybe I really am no good at any of this. Maybe I don't deserve to have pokémon as powerful as these two, maybe I should've just let Natsuki have her way," _she began to say to herself, suddenly realizing what she said, quickly turning around to punch her own reflection in a mirror out of rage. _"No! I can't think about such a thing being the right thing to do, no matter how much it may hurt me. I've endured so much pain, I think I can take a bit more,"_ she said, clenching her fist with a small drop of blood falling from the ends of her finger.

* * *

On the outside of the psychic dorm, Natsu looked back up at Amira's dorm room, noticing the lights still on, walking down the path with Lampent following after, noticing the sound of the breaking glass. Not saying another word, Natsu walked away with Lampent in tow.

"Do you think she'll be able to win the battle tomorrow, Lampent?" he asked. "She didn't seem really strong in her resolve, maybe she isn't ready to fight someone who is so much stronger in their opinion than she is," he said, receiving a smack across the back of his neck from his ghostly partner. "What was that for?" he asked, noticing Lampent place its hand aside the mark appearing on his neck. "What does this mean?"

"It means that Amira is a lot stronger than you think, brat," a voice said from further up the road. "If you start thinking that she isn't as strong as you just because she doesn't speak as often, then you really are as much of an idiot as I thought," Maaya said, walking towards the psychic dorm. "Amira is a person who knows what it means to be hurt, physically. There hasn't been a day that I don't blame myself for not being able to protect her back when that kind of stuff was happening to her. Every day I have to look at what he did to her, is a day where I know I could never be as strong as she was. She lived through it, and that is her reward, but such a trophy doesn't come without a price, and look at what it has cost her. Her voice and her opinion are passed over because of what she lived through, and now all she has to show for that life is her own body."

"You really care about her, don't you, Yoshida-senpai?" Natsu asked.

"I think about all the time that I could've left her alone because of how quiet she was, and think that if I ever wanted to leave her alone, I should've been shot right then and there," Maaya replied. "I'm not going to tell her how to go about the battle tomorrow, but all I know is that you are going to see a side of Amira she shows only to those she considers friends, even if that does include you," she said walking into the dorm, Hitmonchan following after her, bowing to both Natsu an Lampent.

Natsu was left alone in the dark once more, his voice had left him, unable to say anything, but was left with the thought that Maaya had talked about. He should've been attacked for ever thinking that Amira was weak in her power, and as he walked down the path, he was sure to get his wish. With a sudden grasp around his face, Natsu could feel a cloth being placed over his mouth and nose, slowly losing consciousness again as Lampent looked as though it was about to attack, but was quickly subdued from behind with a large rocky fist. With the low, gravely chuckle barely sounding from the bulky figure, another figure picked Natsu up from underneath his arms, a sneer appearing across their face.

* * *

With the next morning, the first thing Amira did was look out over the scenery of Nimbasa, both of her pokéballs holding her pokémon as she walked in front of the other dorm heads still present towards the maid café, Natsuki waiting for all of them outside the door. Reaching the door, Natsuki gave off an expectant look, Amira's face not eliciting any kind of anger, however, there was a notable annoyance in her eyes with how Natsuki was seizing power, the blonde flipping her hair back as she led the eleven inside.

"I figured I should make the battle a bit more interesting, Amira-chan," Natsuki said, motioning towards the back of the room with Natsu seated, still unconscious. "See, I tried to think about what was the best way I could hurt you psychologically, and I figured it would be to take one of the things you value most."

"_I'm sorry, Natsuki-san, but even if you do something like that, my resolve will only become stronger,"_ Amira wrote down. _"Natsu-kun is one of the most popular students on campus; if you think the rest of the student body will hear about this and do nothing, your sorely mistaken. Besides if you harm him in anyway, I may have to give you your own brand of punishment."_

"Big words, but can you back 'em up?"Natsuki asked. "We'll have a simple one on one battle, and the winner gets to decide on one things; which one between you and Natsu-kun will work here part-time from now on," she declared, the other dorms heads all freezing in position, given the sudden, and utterly pathetic, declaration she made. "What do you say, Amira-chan? Are you willing to bet your boyfriend's last shred of dignity on a battle you're sure to lose?"

"_I'm not going to bet anything,"_ Amira wrote on her notebook. _"Because I'm going to win,"_ she declared herself, Natsuki already tossing her pokéball back and forth in the air, ready to begin.

"Will you, the handsome man, please be our referee?" she asked pointing towards the large group, not specifying which of the five, Jiro straightening his stance before stepping out. "Not you, you idiot, why would I mean you?" she asked, Jiro's face freezing in place with his jaw dropped to the ground before falling over unconscious. "The one with the Archen on his shoulder," she said, Gabriel stepping forward, Natsuki striking a quick pose for him.

"Don't think your sweet talk is enough to sway my opinion," Gabriel said, passing by Natsuki. "If you decide to harm Kohashigawa, I will not hesitate to silence you…permanently. You may both begin after you step outside," he said, both Amira and Natsuki leaving the café building itself, and went through the backdoor, a large field behind it, the perfect size for the battle. "Begin!" Gabriel shouted, both trainers throwing their respective pokéballs, Amira sending out her Duosion, and Natsuki sending out a Krokorok.

"Already this is off to a bad start," Judai said, sitting down by the chair Natsu was still seated in. "Amira-senpai's Duosion not only doesn't take her seriously, but also the Krokorok has a dark typin'," he said, Kaname sitting down on the other side of him.

"Dark types specialize in their physical attack power, and psychic types rarely capitalize on their regular defense," Kaname said, look at both pokémon as they stared each other off. "However, if Amira-san can pull of a move to attack is super-effectively, the high special attack power of Duosion would kick in, allowing to even up the battle since dark types aren't as defensive either. This battle is going to be decided based on whose strength isn't only the better of the two, but the one that's used the wisest," he said, both pokémon not taking an order from their respective trainers, and simply diving into each other, head first.

Without any word said from its trainer, Krokorok jumped into the air, and dived back down with its fangs bared, ready to clamp down on Duosion as the row of teeth looked as though they were growing darker in a harsh, black light. Amira made no reaction to the attack, simply looking down the way at Natsuki, the wild look in her eyes making her forget all about how just yesterday she seemed to be as sweet as any of the other girls, but with her teeth showing like her pokémon's, Amira knew that she wasn't the same as what she had hoped for, and instead was the same as something even more frightening. Simply moving her hand to the side, Amira closed her eyes, hoping for some reaction from her pokémon as the ground and dark type reached closer.

"_Please, just listen to me this once,"_ she said to herself, hoping her thoughts would reach Duosion, but to no avail as the psychic type charged one of its own attacks, an Energy Ball that blasted through the air, ripping up towards Krokorok. _"Am I really that useless?"_ she asked herself, seeing the ground type contort its body to wrap around the spherical attack, and clamp down with its jaws on Duosion. _"No!"_

"Heh," Natsuki sounded, looking down at the pokémon she was battling, the sight of it struggling against the jaw of her own pokémon bringing her a certain amount of pleasure. "This is what happens to those who oppose me, Amira-chan. Do you think that any business can be run without strict guidance? It's like we truly are a family, and I will always be the head of that family. Everyone knows what happens when you go against the head, right?" she asked, Amira gripping the top of her arm near the shoulder.

"_Maybe she's right,"_ Amira contemplated, not noticing Duosion look back at her with a disappointed look in her eyes. _"Maybe I was wrong to try and do this again. It always happens this way; I begin to think for myself, I begin to think I can do things that I shouldn't, and in the end, I always got hurt for it,"_ she said to herself, a faint scent wafting through the air, and entering her nose, making her widen her eyes with fear. _"What is that? Please don't tell me, it can't be,"_ she said, closing her eyes, the figure of a man with skin as dark as hers, holding a long neck bottle in one hand with a devilish smile appearing on his face come into her mind. _"He can't control me anymore, and even if he were here, I can't let him,"_ she said looking back up at Natsuki, only to see a shaded figure resembling the man again behind her, making the same pose as her.

"What's the matter, Princess?" Natsuki asked, the voice of the man mixing with her own. "A battle like this too difficult? I guess this means I could always accept your little friend into my family, as well. What do you say?" she asked, Amira looking back over at Natsu, her eyes beginning to sharpen in anger at the mere thought of such a thing. "I'm sure he would make a great addition to our group, wouldn't you agree? And I think he wouldn't go against me as often," she said, bursting into laughter as Amira's fist began trembling with her anger.

"Shut your stupid mouth!" Maaya shouted at the top of her lungs from the sidelines, Natsuki and the other dorm heads taken by surprise at the sudden declaration of the fighting trainer. "You have no idea what Amira is capable of because you're too busy in your own little world. And it's people like you that are going to get passed by, and feel proud of that fact."

"Funny how you seem to be more vocal than your friend, here," Natsuki said. "I guess she really is the quiet type, doesn't even have the strength to voice her opinion."

"Actions speak louder than words," Judai said from the side, as well. "Show 'em what ya got, Amira-senpai, for my bro's sake."

Amira looked between both Maaya and Judai, and then back at Duosion, the psychic type having finally broken away from the attack, wavering in its strength, Krokorok sneering the psychic type down. Barely able to meet her second pokémon in its eye, Amira turned away, gripping the side of her arm as hard as she could, Natsuki looking down at her with a triumphant look.

"I guess you really are as weak as I thought," she said, motioning for her pokémon. "Another Crunch attack should be more than enough to finish off a weakling like you off. Beat you back down to where you belong," she said, Krokorok leaping into the air again, Duosion staring it in the face, another Energy Ball beginning to form before the attack was taken away by a shadow appearing in front of the psychic type.

* * *

With the completion of the attack, the dorm heads, either by watching or hearing the drops of blood fall from her arm, saw Amira standing on front of her pokémon, holding her arm in front of the Krokorok, keeping the ground and dark type in place with its jaws stuck in her arm. Cringing slightly from the pain, Amira looked back over at Natsuki, her eyes no longer afraid of her words, and instead trying to intimidate the young girl. Duosion could barely move, seeing her trainer taking the brunt of a blow for it, despite barely being able to speak her own mind in words, and floated back towards the edge of the battlefield, unable to make out what had just happened in front of it.

"I…I'm not weak," Amira said quietly. "Words don't hurt, and I'm used to pain," she said, looking back over at Natsu. "And I always protect my friends," she said, watching his eyes open with a small smile on his face. "Let's begin."

Without another word, Krokorok released Amira from its grip, landing back at Natsuki's side, Duosion looking back up at Amira, seeing the blood trickling down her arm. As Amira placed her hand on the psychic type's head, and gave a small smile to her, Duosion was barely able to react to anything, still in shock at how much bravery was shown to her.

"I'll never abandon you," Amira whispered, Duosion's confusion turning into a smile as it faced down Krokorok, much like it had before, but even Natsuki could see something different. _"This time, we work as a team,"_ Amira said to Duosion in her thoughts, the psychic type nodding before her trainer cast out her hand, another Energy Ball beginning to charge within the pokémon's cell based body.

"I can't lose to you!" Natsuki shouted, Krokorok jumping out against Duosion.

As the two prepared their attacks, Amira snapped her fingers as soon as Krokorok came with inches of Duosion, the psychic type releasing the Energy Ball against the ground below, launching itself into the air, causing the Crunch attack to miss, and place Krokorok on the ground. With its opponent helpless to stop it, Duosion released another Energy Ball directly downward, the ground and dark type unable to move from the sudden impact. Before the grass attack could hit, Natsuki shut her eyes, not wanting to see her pokémon attacked, but could hear the agony filled cry it gave off, bringing her almost down to her knees, the shaking in her legs apparent to everyone in the room.

Opening her eyes for a second, Natsuki could only see Amira's face staring her down with a look of scorn, her face not changing in emotion as she directed Duosion's movements with her hand. Natsuki began cringing all the more, Krokorok standing back up, and jumping over towards where Duosion stood, quickly trying to attack. With another snap of her fingers, Amira looked back up at her pokémon as the psychic type was surrounded in a light blue veil that soon disappeared. Krokorok chuckled as it opened it mouth as wide as possible, Duosion quickly dropping back to the ground level, the ground type soaring above Amira before charging back towards the battlefield, suddenly taken aback by the look of terror on its trainer's face.

"Stop it," Natsuki said quietly, barely bringing her voice above a whisper. "Stop staring at me like that," she said, looking back up at Amira, her eyes never leaving the blonde girl, following every movement she made. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"This was the way he looked…," Amira started, stretching her arm out. "…before he scared me," she said, swing her arm in front of her as fast as she could, Duosion instantly springing back into action, tackling Krokorok while it was preoccupied with its trainer.

"No, I'm the strong one here," Natsuki said. "I even was able to take him to force you into this battle. And no matter what you do, I'll have at least one of you by the time this battle is over."

"That may be so," Natsu said, Natsuki finally aware of his being conscious. "But what do you gain in this loss? You either deal with a girl already much stronger than you, or a boy who is always protected by the people that care about him. If you lose this battle, you will lose everything, no matter what you win. Amira-senpai is too strong to be scared of you. I'm sure she's seen something much scarier than a girl like you."

"…I have," Amira said, moving her side from side, commanding her pokémon with each movement, Natsuki still unable to move, but her pokémon able to fight off much of the attacks made against her.

As Krokorok charged after Duosion one last time, the same blue veil appeared around the psychic pokémon as it did before, the membrane moving from where Duosion floated, and concentrated itself into a single blast. Looping over the instigator of the attack, the blast of psychic power passed through Krokorok, temporarily blinding the ground and dark type in its sky blue light. Despite the power displayed by the attack as made apparent by the silhouette in the ground behind Krokorok, the attack proved itself ineffective if not completely useless against the partially dark type.

"Why would ya use a move that does nothin' to it, Senpai?" Judai asked, Natsu smiling as he stood up weakly from the chloroform used on him.

"Future sight isn't the actual attack," Natsu said, Judai looking back over at the battlefield, the smoke clear around where the attack was made, Duosion no longer there, sharing in Krokorok's confusion. "It was the way to beat him without speed," he said, Duosion appearing out of the dust behind Krokorok, the dark and ground type not having any time to react as Amira swiped her hand across her front.

Taking the silent command, Duosion powered up its attack, with the green energy beginning to assemble in the center of its being before launching the attack directly out at the opponent. Amira kept the same straight face, not caring about the blood falling from the tips of her fingers, as she watched Krokorok fall from the second Energy Ball that struck it, Natsuki still shivering from the look in her opponent's eyes, Amira beginning to walk towards her. Trying to cower away at the sight of the dark skinned trainer, and the serious look in her eye, closing her own, ready to accept her inevitable beating. Instead, she felt a hand on her head, moving as she was being petted.

"_I'm sorry for scaring you,"_ Amira wrote, a smile on her face as she cringed while touching Natsuki's head. _"If it's okay with you, I'll take Natsu-kun back to the school with me, and I'll see what I can do about keeping my employment here, okay?" _she asked, Natsuki's eyes filled with tears as Amira move her hand away, still clenching her other fist with the blood from Krokorok's attack pooling in her palm.

"I…I'm sorry!" Natsuki shouted out, tears streaming down her cheeks as she looked back up at Amira's gentle eyes. "I was supposed to be the one who was mature, but instead, I just caused you to get hurt. I thought I was doing the right thing by making others do things my way; I never thought that anyone would go so far as to hurt themselves to show me I was wrong," she said, looking back up at Amira's notepad, her eyes beginning to well up with tears again.

"_I know,"_ she had written. _"There are people like you who think that the only way is their way, but you're one of the smarter people. You learn from making that mistake, and I look forward to working with you, Natsuki-chan,"_ the note finished, Amira giving a wide, gentle smile as she and the others left the café, Amira gripping onto her arm, Natsuki's cheeks completely red, her eyes looking as though she had been struck with Cupid's arrow, her eyes focusing on Amira's form.

"So beautiful," she said, both Graveler and Krokorok looking at each other, cringing at what their trainer was suggesting. "For such a woman to teach me something, this feeling can only be one thing, which means that there is a roadblock that must be crossed," she said, Natsu shivering just before leaving the store.

* * *

Later in the day, Amira was seated in the infirmary wing of the school, the entirety of the left arm bandaged from the attack made against her pokémon she had blocked. Looking out the window at the grassy hills, Amira kept her headphones over her head, allowing the soothing sounds of her music to block out all other distractions, not noticing somebody walk into the same room, stopping at least ten feet away from her. Feeling the addition of another presence in the room, Amira removed her headphones, and turned back around, surprised to see Natsu looking at her with Lampent floating behind, trying to find the courage to say something.

"Um…," Natsu began, Amira waiting for him to say something, her headphones draped around her neck. "Thank you for helping me today. I feel like you keep helping me, and I'm nothing if not useless to all of you. You've all been so kind to me since I came here, and sometimes I don't think I deserve it. So I apologize for making this day more difficult for you. The last thing you needed to think about was me," he said, receiving a small chuckle from Amira.

"_Anyone who is my friend, is never useless to me,"_ she wrote down, showing it to Natsu, the ghost trainer finding the strength to bring a smile to his face. _"Besides, I could never leave you with somebody like that. I would never make you go through what I had to."_

"I know what kind of life you had, Amira-senpai," Natsu said. "While I don't know the details, I know the kind of life you had to lead. You weren't seen as a whole person, barely above being the rank of a pokémon. You weren't seen as anything but a girl that was there, and couldn't fight back. And yet, you were able to survive; whoever it was that made you feel this way didn't know that you were stronger than you looked. You could endure what he did to you, and never ever force yourself to be this person. You were stronger than he was because you didn't fight back, you were stronger because you could take what he gave you, and show it to him for what it actually was."

"_How do you know any of that?"_ Amira asked, Natsu motioning for her injured arm.

"When you scared Natsuki-san today, you just had to show her your arm," Natsu answered. "She saw what she had done to you, and she knew immediately that it was wrong what she did. You taught her that she was being a coward for hiding behind violence like this, and because of that you made her a better person, I think," he said, looking down at the time. "I have to go, I'll see you later, okay?" he said, Amira nodding before looking back down at her arm.

"_If only the world worked the way you wanted it to, Natsu-kun,"_ Amira said to herself, placing her headphones back on her ears. _"But Natsuki-chan is a rare case; barely anyone learns from the mistakes they make from all of this. And even when they do see what they've done to you, many of them will simply relish in it, using it as proof of their power. I've heard the legends of Aura, and I know mine is no Aura of Bravery or of Strength. Mine is something just as powerful, but I'm sure is much less of an Aura one would wish to have. I know that my Aura is of Fear. Fear that that man will soon come back for me, and take me to wherever he wants, do what he wants, and no matter what I say or do, he will look at me with that same terrifying look in his eyes, and make me remember where I truly belong. But I do thank you for your words of hope, Natsu-kun. That could be one of the things I truly do see in you."_

* * *

Character Appearances:

Amira Khumalo: Kirlia & Duosion. FlyPandaBear

Jiro Matsushita: Bibarel & Tauros. GoldenfeatherKyru

Judai Ryuzaki: Monferno & Torkoal. Jexo

Natsu Kohashigawa: Lampent & Golett. NightFall00

Maaya Yoshida: Hitmonchan & Hitmonlee. Emmausgirl94

Takeru Sanjero: Mothim & Heracross. Moth's Aflame

Kaname Misaki: Sableye & Absol. Ariesbird

Sienna Smith: Vibrava & Fraxure. Fluttersong

Mitsuta "Mitsu" Ichihana: Glaceon & Sneasel. Crossroade32

Mika Saito: Ledian & Pidgeotto. Cyanide the Sneasel

June Kurosaki: Lairon & Skarmory. Lady Island Rose

Gabriel Volantis: Archen & Tirtouga. WereDragon EX

* * *

Notes:

Maid Café: A common sight in places like Akihabara is the famous maid café. Essentially, that's all it is, nothing more than a café with the waitresses dressing in the traditional styles of the French style maid, and a lot of the time they're given a pretty bad reputation for being places where perverted things can happen. In reality, though, these are legitimate businesses, and they're more for a social aspect, rather than a romantic or sexual one. While some people in Japan do have a fetish for this kind of thing, there are strict rules about what you can and can't do with one of the waitresses; anything more than simple conversation, provided you don't lace it with double entendres is off the table. However, many people will engage with different kinds of games with the maids, such as card games or video games upon their request, and a lot of them will have times where they and the customers can perform karaoke. Since I will have to go to Japan eventually for my major, I do plan to go to one of these places at least once, just to say I did, but chances are it'll be like with Takeru; research only.

Amira and "Princess": As you recall from the battle scene, Natsuki referred to Amira as "Princess," and while this may be nothing more than a scathing remark on her backbone, it is actually the literally translation of the name "Amira." For those of you who also read the story "Fear in Numbers" by FlyPandaBear, in which she uses the same character, there are instances where it is explained that this is the literal meaning of her name, but that also got me interested in what some of the other names of the other characters might mean; Natsu's meaning Summer, Judai's loosely translate to a specific generation or teenager, Maaya's name is more difficult, but based on other people with the name it does mean something along the lines of True and Ceremony (if taken from the original Chinese), Kaname means Vital Point, Sienna is Reddish-Orange Brown, Takeru means, depending on the kanji, Warrior, Fierce, Health, or Noble, June is, well, the month of June, Jiro is a Japanese expression meaning the Second Son, Mika means Beautiful Smell, and Gabriel's, whoo boy, means Able-bodied One of God. Dang man.

* * *

Chapter eight complete. Well that certainly took a while. Sorry about that everyone, but I've been busy, and I won't like writing this chapter was a bit harder than the others. Part of why this story works out so much better than the rest of them is that I'm coming up with my own ideas that I'm not trying to compare them to, or trying to make my own spin off of things, which is why so many of stories crash and burn. So, with this, we learn more about Amira, kinda, and next time, I plan to do a character I think needs a bit more touching up on, and I promise you that next time, we'll introduce a new pairing that I actually kinda like, almost as much as the MaayaxTakeru pairing, although, I'm trying to come up with an actual name for the shipping; kinda like Jetshipping, Pokeshipping, Ikarishipping; what do you guys think? Well, I gotta go, and until we meet again, whether in person on the computer screen, goodbye, good luck, and everyone take a likin' to ya. Ja nee.


	10. The Truth in Regret

Alright, who's ready for the next chapter of HDD, because I know I am. Like I said in the last chapter, this one is basically for a character I thought could use some more touching up on, mostly because I've been using him for comic relief for the first part of this story, so I think you already know who I'm talking about, but the first few paragraphs always make it pretty clear. I also said that I'd be introducing a new sort of shipping in this, but I let you see that for yourselves, and I really need to get a move on with this story since X and Y are coming out soon, and I have a new story that's waiting for the day that the new pokémon all come out. Personally, though, the pace at which they're doing all of this has been pretty good, and I'll be one of the only people in my family to use X since Xerneas is that much more awesome. Although, from the poll I had a while back, it looks like the majority of people are going to be using Fennekin, so we'll see how that goes.

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN POKÉMON, BECAUSE IF I DID, GHOSTS AND DRAGONS WOULD NOT BE WEAK TO THEMSELVES.**

* * *

Chapter 9: The Truth in Regret

People often say that the thing they regret the most is the thing they can only do once in their entire lifetime; certain events in their life that only come around once, and pass by as fleeting moments in an hourglass. Most others will say that regret means that you don't feel that your life is worth living, simply looking at the glass as half empty, missing out on what can be while brooding over what could have been, and this is where both sides of the argument are right. While regret is born from losing the chance to do something that comes only once, those who choose to sulk over it, and see only what could've been, and now what is happening in front of them is how people live a life with no value. People will usually say that they're last wish in life would be to be happy, no feelings of regret within their being, and this is rarely possible. The last moments of a person's life are filled with the thoughts of what they did, but soon turn into what they didn't. Humans are pessimistic by nature, noticing the bad, and never the good, but is there a way to do both? Is it possible to know what you missed, and still move forward in your life?

* * *

The darkened alleyway made the sounds of her panting echo throughout the narrow path, shying as far into the blackened corner as she could, trying to keep her voice down. Finally able to catch her breath, the girl found herself already surrounded on all sides of available directions, several men in black suits pounding metal clubs in their hands as they moved closer. The girl tried to protest as best she could, weakly telling them to leave her alone, none of them listening, simply sneering down at the young girl. Before one of them could reach down to her, one of the men heard a faint rumbling sound, soon getting much closer before he was whisked away from the scenery, and carried off into the black night, the sight of three tails whipping against the pokémon being all they could see.

"I figured men dressed as smartly as you guys would know that it isn't right to attack a lady like that," a voice said from the end of the alleyway, Jiro stepping into view, his Tauros returning from the other side of the alley, the man from before left twitching against the wall where two horn shaped holes resided above his head. "I guess we need to teach them some manners, what do you say, Tauros?" he asked, the bull pokémon snorting once before bashing the ground beneath him with a hoof.

Tauros began the assault making a mad dash for the group of men, one of them beginning to charge the normal type with the thin metal club, receiving the entirety of the pokémon's charging strength with a similar result as to what happened to the man before. Not taking any time afterwards, Jiro dived in, throwing a quick jab to one of the men before they could bring down the same kind of weapon on him. Barely dodging the next strike, Jiro made a quick jump back before whistling for Tauros, the large bovine charging back towards the rest of the group, Jiro moving in front of the girl they were attacking.

"You okay?" he asked, looking down at her as she weakly nodded, not seeing one of the men rising from the ground, the girl trying to warn him. "Hmm?" he questioned, feeling the sudden sting against his neck, forcing him down to the ground, Tauros too busy with the rest of the group to notice.

As the man brought his hand back up, he looked down at the girl, her eyes no longer filled with fear, but rather with anger as she reached into her back pocket, looking up at the man. Hearing a sudden choking sound, Tauros turned around, seeing the man fall from the ground, the girl already seated next to Jiro, resting his head on her lap, the others already defeated, Tauros kicking the last one behind him as he tried to get back to his feet.

"He's an amazing person, isn't he?" the girl asked with a smile on her face. "You both are so strong to save me from those men," she said, Tauros looking down at the girl with a flat look, not convinced by her act of innocence, lifting Jiro onto his back before walking off, snorting at the girl, not noticing the deck cards from his pocket fall to the ground.

Within a few more minutes, the girl was alone again in the dark, looking down at the deck of cards, picking up the box to see a small note pinned to the back. "If found, please return to Jiro Matsushita, and if you happen to be single, put down your digits, ~Jiro." Giggling slightly at the last part, the girl placed the box into her own pocket before noticing one of the men trying to get up. Within a second, the girl snapped her fingers once, the man falling back down to the ground with a darkened figure climbing up onto her shoulder.

"He certainly was interesting, wasn't he?" she asked, the pokémon on her back chattering in delight as she ran her hand against its back. "Maybe I'll get to see him again, and I know I will. I have to my job to do," she said, looking at the bottom of the deck box to see the address of where Jiro was, an evil smile appearing on her face.

* * *

"Man! Talk about a bum deal," Jiro said, feeling the bump on his head from last night. "I act all cool for that girl, and the next thing I know, I'm out cold from a single hit like that. Can I get any more pathetic?" he asked, Mika and Mitsu looking at him as he told the story, his Bibarel placing a bandage around his head for the wound.

"You still saved her, that's gotta be worth something, Jiro-kun," Mika said, Jiro still brooding over the single detail. "Who knows, maybe you'll get to see her again; you did drop your deck of cards, so maybe she'll bring them back."

"With my luck, she took them to the trash compacter, tore them up, burned then and sprinkled the ashes around some dead guy hoping the cursed item that I touched with my hands would be enough to raise him from the grave," Jiro said, both Mitsu and Mika looking at him slightly worried for his sanity. "It's just a cheap deck of cards, anyway, I only put that note on there in the slim chance a girl would actually go for a short guy like me," he said, Mika puffing out her cheeks form frustration.

"Next time, be more aware of your surroundings," Mitsu said. "Besides, out of the twelve of us, Mika-chan and Natsu-kun are the short ones. What did the girl look like, anyway? If you helped her that much, you must've thought she was pretty, knowing your standards."

"I no longer have standards, thank you very much," Jiro replied. "She was probably a few inches taller than Mika-san, long, sort of platinum colored hair with a hairpin that looked like a pokéball, or a Voltorb, it's hard to tell the difference."

"Kinda cute features, soft skin, and a smile that could light up the stage on a Pokémon Musical in the town?" Mika asked, both her and Mitsu staring through the door as Jiro began thinking about it. "Looks sort of nervous all the time, and isn't really good when guys flock around her?"

"That was the vibe I got, why do you ask?" Jiro asked, Mitsu turning his head towards the door, a girl matching the features Jiro and Mika described standing in the doorway, keeping a shy, composed look around the boys fawning over her. "Oh, my goodness gracious. Tell me this is some kind of coincidence, and that she's been in our class this whole time, and I was just too stupid to notice."

"How I would love to tell you that," Mitsu said. "But if what you said was true, she's here to return something to her knight in shining armor," she said, motioning for Jiro to go up.

As Jiro stood up, his entire body stiffened at the thought of going up to her since seeing her in the state she was in last night, and the way she was acting now. As the girl looked on all sides of her, she instantly looked through the crowd, seeing Jiro's bandaged head, instantly calming down as she broke through the group.

"I finally found you!" she shouted happily as she wrapped her arms around Jiro's neck, pressing herself as close to him as possible, Jiro's look of shock being shared by the rest of his class with both Mika and Mitsu pounding their fists together in triumph. "I was beginning to think I'd never see you again after you saved me from those bad men last night," she said looking back up at Jiro, only to find he was no longer in front of her, but instead in the midst of the rest of the male students, looking as though he were fending for his life.

"What is this about, Matsushita?" one of them asked, cracking his knuckles. "How does a nobody like you get a girl like that? I'm not about to take this lying down."

"Can we talk about this calmly?" Jiro asked, the rest of the male students gaining a sharp gleam in their eyes as they all tackled Jiro down to the ground, the girl walking over to Mika and Mitsu, having seeing Jiro come from this direction.

"Um…can you give this to Matsushita-san?" she asked nervously as she placed Jiro's deck of cards onto his desk. "And tell him that I'd like to see him again," she said quietly, but loud enough for any of the male students to hear, already having Jiro tied to a cross with a burning torch ready to light him on fire. "I want to thank him properly," she before running off from the room, blush covering her face as the other students stared enraged at Jiro before dropping the torch at his feet.

"Hey, whoa! That's not funny! Guys?" he questioned, seeing them all leave him for dead. "Hey! Somebody get me off of this thing! Please! Mitsu-san? Mika-san?" he asked, seeing both of them more concerned with the fact that the girl actually did return the deck of cards. "Bibarel, get me out of this fix!" he shouted, the normal and water mix sighing as it splashed some water on the fire, helping to untie him from the crucifix.

Returning to his desk, completely exhausted, Jiro rested his head against the table, looking down at the box that held his deck of cards, seeing more than what he left behind. Quickly coming back to full strength, Jiro quickly grabbed the box, carefully unwrapping the different colored paper with a series of number on the other side from the cardboard. Seeing the sequence of the numbers, Jiro's excitement was almost at the breaking point before Mitsu quickly covered his mouth before he exclaimed out of celebration.

"I take it one of your tactics actually worked, huh?" Mika asked, looking at the piece of paper. "Call me, Alyssa Zorach, hmm? Sounds like a girl has a crush on you," she said, Jiro's brain already overloading from the mere thought of something like this happening. "So are you gonna call her after classes today? And if you are, we need to see it happen," she said, tilting her head so her hair parted, showing off one of her eyes.

"This almost seems to be too good to be true," Mitsu said. "But, who knows, maybe she really did fall for you because you saved her. Maybe she just has a big hero complex, and would go for the one who saved her from those men. What did you say they looked like?"

"They all wore black suits," Jiro answered. "You know, the kind with the really boxy shoulders, the straight style sunglasses, even though it was the middle of the night, and they all had some kind of little metal billy club with them. They definitely knew how to use it, too, given the bump on my head," he said, feeling the injury through the bandages. But there was one thing I was able to get off the dude that clobbered me," he said, pulling out a small ear piece. "I was thinking maybe Takeru-san could help us track wherever the signal was coming from."

"Wouldn't work," Mitsu replied. "If they know you have something that could track back to them, there are only two courses of action they could take, they'd have already moved their transmitter, or they're going to tie off loose ends," she said ominously.

"You mean they'd try and kill Jiro-kun and Alyssa-chan?" Mika asked, Mitsu nodding as her answer.

"You have to call her, if for nothing else than to warn her she might be in danger," Mitsu said, Jiro finally seeing the severity of the idea, nodding agreement. "Although, if push comes to shove, then we may have to consider the idea of making you two bait in order to lure them out into the open where we can figure out something else about them."

"Don't even joke about that," Jiro said quickly. "I won't have you putting Alyssa-san into a dangerous position like that; don't you think she's been through enough already? I don't think it's a good idea to have her go through it again," he said, standing up from his desk, walking towards the door to the hallway. "I won't let her be part of your plan."

* * *

As he left the classroom, Mitsu's eyes glazed over towards Mika, the young flying trainer looking back at where Jiro disappeared from, barely noticing her classmate staring directly at her. As she looked back forward, Mika could still feel Mitsu's icy stare, the dark brown irises staring through her back, and into her soul, seeing everything she was trying to hide.

"You like that kind of thought, don't you?" Mitsu asked, Mika jumping slightly at her words. "A man coming to save you when you're in a situation with no way out; Jiro-kun's the only one who would even get you close to that kind of feeling. Why not just go for it, already? I'm tired of waiting here, thinking that one of you guys are gonna go for a person you like, and then you do nothing. It's worse than Amira-san and Natsu-kun. Those two are making no headway, at all."

"I don't think you're at all innocent of not acting on your emotions," Mika said. "Besides, Jiro-kun isn't exactly my type. He's never acting like himself, and he always thinks he has to be someone other than him to impress a girl."

"I don't think any of us have ever really seen who Jiro-kun really is," Mitsu noticed, thinking on what Mika said. "He's hiding something about himself that would make it impossible for him to face us again if he's found out, and I, for one, would like to know what he's hiding. I have to wonder, though, what everyone's secret in our little group is. None of us are what we say we are, and we'll never know each other unless we are honest."

"You wanna start that?" Mika asked, Mitsu looking at her with a smile.

"I never said it was a bad thing," she answered, looking back forward at the teacher, pausing for a second to look back at where Jiro left to. _"A group of men that seemed to appear out of nowhere, attack somebody out of random, and then can have the resources to disappear without a trace. If I'm right, then Jiro-kun's in over his head, and this girl is more dangerous than she's worth. That or she knows exactly why she's in this fix, and if she's going to use one of my friends to do something about it, then she's got another thing coming."_

* * *

Outside of the school building, the girl, named Alyssa by the signing of the note, stayed leaning against the brick wall, not moving in the shadows, watching people go by her, not giving her a sideways glance, as though she weren't even there. Smiling to herself with a wicked expression in her eyes, she looked off to her side to see a man walk towards her with a noticeable limp, his face marked with a long scar, and a large burn mark showing through a series of bandages over his face. Alyssa turned to the man, a Murkrow flapping down from the top of the brick wall, and landing on her shoulder as she folded her arms in front of her.

"I must say that you've probably never looked better than that, sir," she said, the man not amused by her joke. "I've done what you've told me to do so far, but when do I actually get to have some real fun. I hate having to suck up to that wimp of a trainer, Jiro."

"Patience, Zorach," the man said, barely lifting his arms out of his overcoat despite the warm weather. "The wounds I have sustained from this group of people are evidence enough that you shouldn't take them lightly. The fire trainer, Judai Ryuzaki," he said, handing her a picture of the first year trainer. "He has connections with the masked trainer known as Reaper, and is fully capable of taking much punishment to the body. He is to be approached cautiously as well as the girl named Mitsuta Ichihana. She has a special perception to attack like an assassin such as yourself, and therefore should be watched. But this is the girl I want you to take care of for this specific job," he said, handing her a third picture.

"Good thing I don't have to look very far for this one," Alyssa said, showing the picture to her Murkrow, the dark and flying type slashing across the picture horizontally with its beak. "She's definitely not as strong as those other two, and the best part of her is going to be that she'll be doing quite a bit of squirming. I love it when they struggle," she said, the two halves of the picture falling to the ground, the bandaged man looking down at the slashed picture of Mika. "Just tell me when, and then this charade can be over with."

"Jiro Matsushita was a fortunate bystander in last night's performance," the man said. "You should feign a fondness for him, and then use him to lure out the young Saito into the open. Afterwards, you will separate yourself from the means, to accomplish the ends," he said, dropping a lit cigarette onto Mika's slashes picture. "I will have my revenge against these people, but for now, our employer would like very much to see her eliminated."

"With haste," Alyssa said, walking away from the school, disappearing over the hill, leaving the bandaged man by himself with a large sneer on his own face before disappearing the other way.

* * *

"I'm still not sure this is such a good idea, guys," Jiro said, Judai and Natsu both sitting across from him in the ghost dorm, Koichi staring at all three as they prepared for Jiro to make the call to Alyssa. "I mean I just met her this morning, don't you think that's rushing things a bit too much? What if she says no, or tells me to get lost, or that if I keep bothering her, she'll call out a SWAT team, and I would get thrown in jail for sexual harassment."

"First off, breathe," Judai said, Jiro following his instructions. "You're just callin' a girl if she wants to go to an amusement park with ya, you're not goin' for the marriage proposal, here. Obviously, ya didn't pick the best support group in the world for this kind of event. Ya got the teacher that used to be exactly like ya," he said, Koichi looking down at Judai with slight annoyance. "And then ya got my bro, who can barely look a woman in the eye. Just call her up, and ask her if she has plans for the weekend. Leave us out of it, and you'll be fine."

"Okay," Jiro said, about to dial in the number Alyssa had written on the piece of paper, ending it with a heart. "But what if the number's for a carpet shampoo service?" he asked, Judai quickly cutting him off with a glare. "You're right, you're right, I'm obviously overreacting about all of this since it's the first time a girl has actually given me her digits."

"You've never gone out on a date, before?" Natsu asked, genuinely curious, but Jiro took at as a near literal stab in the chest.

"I've gone out on one since I was here, but it didn't end well, let's just leave it at that, okay?" he asked, about to type in the first number, but began to fumble the phone in his hands as the door to the dorm slid open, ending in a large slam with both Mitsu and Mika standing in the doorway.

"Oh, this just keeps gettin' better, don't it?" Judai noticed, looking at Jiro, still shaking as he kept his finger pointed towards the number pad on his phone. "You're just in time to see the show. Did ya bring the whole gang with ya?" he asked, Mika pointing behind them with the other dorm heads, excluding Gabriel standing in the doorway.

"You can't be serious," Jiro complained, his Bibarel patting his back to console him.

"Yeah right, like I was going to miss out on you looking like a complete idiot in front of a girl for the hundredth time," Maaya said, walking in front of the others. "Besides, we need the details if we're gonna spy on your two when you're making kissy faces in the haunted house. Or was that supposed to be a secret?" she asked, motioning towards Takeru.

"At this point, I'm still unclear on the answer to that one," Takeru admitted. "Although I am interested in seeing how Matsushita-san is able to operate with a person outside of the twelve of us remaining in the school until January. From the information I've gathered, he has attempted to establish romantic relations with at least ninety members of the student body, sixty of them all from the flying dorm," he relayed, both Jiro and Mika blushing from that information. "The other thirty were students all noted for having at least one flying pokémon, or airborne pokémon."

"Can we please end the 'Embarrass Jiro' session for the evening?" Jiro asked desperately. "I have enough pressure calling this girl up without you guys hanging over all of my failures. I just need some time to prepare for this. Wait, why are the rest of you guys here?" he asked, noticing Kaname, Sienna, Amira, and June.

"If I had to venture a guess, Amira-senpai was strong-armed into this by Maaya-senpai once again," Judai began. "And Sienna-senpai and Kaname-senpai rarely go anywhere when they're not together, seein' as they always got some kind of work for the school to do, but June-senpai does confuse me a bit, I gotta say."

"I just want to see Jiro-kun find a girl he really likes, and find someone really special," June answered, sitting down on the couch in between Judai and Natsu. "It's not every day that one could find their potential soul mate, don't you think, Natsu-kun?" she asked, wrapping one of her arms around the back of Natsu's neck, the latter blushing slightly as both Judai and Amira looked at her slightly annoyed by her behavior. "So what are you waiting for, Jiro-kun? Are we bothering you that much?" she asked, Jiro's shaking hands giving answer to just about everyone.

"Stranger things have happened," Jiro said. "Okay, here we go," he said, about to bring his finger towards the keypad of the phone, only for it to disappear from his hand before finding it again in Koichi's hand. "Hey!" he said, seeing Koichi coolly tap out the phone number, and throw it back to Jiro without so much as a flinch in his posture.

After hearing it ring in his hand for a couple seconds, Jiro stood up among the rest of the group, all ten of them watching him intently as he timidly brought the phone to his ear waiting for a reply from the other end. As the phone rang for the third time, Jiro began to lower the phone from his ear, until he heard a small voice on the other side of the call, instantly bringing it back up to his ear like a robot. Barely able to speak straight, Jiro's mouth just began moving up and down without any kind of sound coming from it whatsoever.

"H-H-Hello?" Jiro asked mechanically. "Alyssa-san, is this really you and not the number to a dry cleaners?" he asked, hearing a soft giggling sound on the other end of the line.

"Oh, Jiro-kun, you're so funny," Alyssa said on the other end of the line, Jiro's face looking as though he had had a brief glimpse of heaven as tears of pure joy fell from his eyes. "Oh, and if you would, my really close friends call me Aly," she said suggestively as Jiro's face turned completely red, and emitted the same kind of steam Natsu did around girls.

"R-Right, so I was wondering if you were busy this weekend, and wanted to go the park in Nimbasa?" he asked. "It's okay if you don't, I'm destined to be alone anyw-," he said before he heard a reply on the other end. "Seriously? You sure? This isn't some kind of joke? You're not planning on having me arrested like that one girl did?" he asked, the conversation continuing between them as the other s couldn't help but smile at his reactions.

"I never knew Jiro-senpai was so awkward around girls," Natsu whispered, June chuckling slightly as she listened to Jiro making plans with Alyssa for their date. "He always seems so confident around them."

"He expects a certain kind of behavior from girls around him," June replied. "He once hit on me, and when I returned the favor he completely shut down. Out of all the girls he's tried to get with, he fails more than ninety percent of the time, I think because he lays it on a little thick, but when something actually works, he never plans it out that far ahead. So when a girl seems to like him, he doesn't know what to do. It's like watching you when you're around Amira-chan," she whispered, Natsu's face turning completely red as June chuckled. "Told you."

"Okay, Saturday at two is great," Jiro said, trying to stay calm in his voice, even though the rest of his body was a nervous wreck. "I'll see you then, Aly-chan," he said, choking on the last part a bit, hearing her laugh on the other end of the line before hanging up.

Jiro stayed motionless for a few more minutes, and walked towards the door of the dorm, sliding it closed behind him as the others all turned to Koichi, the teacher not looking at them, and instead holding up five fingers. With each second, he counted down from five, and upon reaching zero, the entire dorm was rocked by a celebratory cheer from directly outside, seeing the silhouette of Jiro dancing out in the lawn as though nothing else mattered in the world.

"I remember being like that when I got my first girlfriend," Koichi said. "The first time you succeed in getting one, even if it's just a first date, is a big achievement for anyone," he said, Kaname nodding in understanding as they continued to watch Jiro celebrates, Mika the only one not looking at him, as she stood up, walking towards the rooms, Natsu noticing her movements, making him follow after her.

* * *

Moving into Natsu's room, Mika walked a few feet inside, and fell onto his still rolled out futon, her eyes hidden behind her hair, but even Natsu could tell she was upset. Thinking back to what Jiro had said earlier, Natsu nodded in his own understanding as he took a seat on his desk chair, looking down at her as she sat up with her legs crossed.

"When did you go out with Jiro-senpai?" he asked, Mika looking up at him with surprise in her eyes, asking how he was able to figure it out. "When I was still living at home, my sister's boyfriend broke up with her for another girl, and she was acting just like you, and Jiro-senpai already told me that he had gone out on one other date besides this one, so I thought it might be you," he explained, Mika laughing slightly as she lowered her head.

"A few months into the school year into summer break, Jiro-kun asked me out, said that even I tried to hide my eyes, he knew that they would be the most beautiful diamonds in the sky to him," she said. "Back then, I thought Jiro-kun was the most honest person in the world. He never told me that he thought I looked better to hide my eyes, but at the same time, he never told me why he wanted to go out with me."

"What do you mean?" Natsu asked, Mika giggling again at his naiveté.

"People don't look at each other in that way without a reason, Natsu-kun," Mika answered. "When I was out with Jiro-kun, I knew there was a reason for why he wanted to go out with me, but there were things I never told anyone to make him think I was different, I'm not very cute to other people with all this hair, and I'm not special anyway. But when I asked, Jiro-kun wouldn't answer, it's like he was ashamed to answer why he wanted to go out with me."

"Did you ever find out why he did?" Natsu asked, Mika shaking her head as her answer. "Do you really think he's still ashamed that he went out with you? Obviously both of you have moved past it, how could you stay friends with that hanging over your head?" he asked, Mika smiling up at him solemnly.

"You saw how he was acting out there earlier?" Mika asked as her reply. "He doesn't remember about what he could've had, and I've been thinking about it ever since it happened. I just want to know what made me so special that made him come to me, and not someone else. Was I just a practice run, did someone dare him to do it, or is it something he really doesn't want people to know about?" she asked continually. "I just want to know one thing to move on from that one thing in my life, but with the way he acts, is he ever going to notice how it hurts?"

Natsu fell silent, hunching his back over as he looked down at Mika's eyes, small tears falling out from behind her bangs, trying to keep her smile constant, but the quiver of his lips was unmistakable. Standing up, and moving out from his room, closing the door to give Mika her privacy. Walking back down the stairs, Natsu found that all the other dorms heads, minus Jiro, were still in the lobby, looking up at him. Natsu wavered his eyes back to where Mika was, and looked at the eight other people with a smile on his face.

"Is there something we can do with this?" he asked, Judai instantly knowing what he meant as the other dorm heads followed directly after, nodding in unison.

* * *

The next few days passed relatively quickly with Jiro's nerves constantly on edge with his plans for his date with Alyssa, barely paying attention to the lectures his teachers were giving, Mitsu forewarning them to not speak to him suddenly. With each passing day, as well, Natsu and Judai became completely absorbed with another task, specific to what would be happening on the day that Jiro left for the city. As the days on the calendar seem to melt away, the day came almost too quickly, but just slow enough for both plans to be placed in motion.

The scenery of the amusement park was one of controlled chaos, to be contradictive, children running back and forth along the roads to different games, rides, and food stands, Jiro looking out at it with a confident smile and nod. Turning back around, Jiro saw that the ten other dorm heads that were with him for the setting of the date were behind him, the same smile on shi face as he lead the others in, his buckling knees not quite reflecting his confident attitude.

"Hey, guys, thanks for coming with me, I'd be way too nervous if it was just me alone with Aly-chan," Jiro said as the others nodded, Natsu's and Judai's smiles completely forced. "I'm assuming you're going to keep a cool distance away from us, I kinda want her to think that this is a date, and not a group outing," he explained, the others looking past him at one of the workers of the park staring down at them.

"Hello, and welcome to Nimbasa Grand Park," a voice said from behind Jiro, making him turn around. "My name is Gabriel, and I will be your guide for the front of the park," he said, Jiro's jaw dropping to the ground. "Fine, formalities aside, what are you guys doing here? There's a reason I choose certain jobs, they give me some space every once in a while."

"Jiro here has a little rendezvous with a certain miss he met this week," Maaya said teasingly as Jiro tried to keep his legs from shaking.

"Well, I'd suggest waiting for her by the fountain," Gabriel said, pointing over towards the center of the front area, the stone slabs used for the stones just perfect for taking a seat, although Jiro felt that even sitting wasn't going to calm him down. "In the meantime, I suggest using this map to go around to other places, maybe you and your lady fair will have a good time here. I know the Ferris wheel is a good place to go."

"Gabriel, do you have a girlfriend we don't know about?" Sienna asked, Gabriel turning to her with Archen sitting on his shoulder, trying to maintain its composure.

"You know nothing about me, let's just leave it at that," Gabriel said, giving a cordial bow to the others. "If you ever need help with anything, just find one of us, and we can help you find about anything. I'm usually here, but there are others workers deeper in the park, so have fun, Jiro. The rest of you, too, I'd suggest checking some things out. The more recommendations I give, the bigger my bonus is gonna be," he said, the other dorm heads sinking slightly.

* * *

Sitting down on one of the cold rocks circling the fountain, Jiro's legs continually began shaking as looked over at Natsu, both of them nodding as Judai laid back slightly, stretching his arm out, and ramming it into Natsu's stomach. Falling back into the fountain, the splash alerted just about everyone along with Gabriel turned around to see if he was okay. Coughing out some of the water, Natsu stood up, his clothes soaked to the bone as Gabriel sighed with frustration.

"Fifth time today," he said, hailing him over. "I'm gonna have to have someone come with him to make sure he's not alone when I have to come back. The park requires that anyone who is caught in an accident must remain in the offices with some kind of company in order to act as a witness. It's a legal thing for when they sign some kind of written agreement, so who's up for it?" he asked, June's hand shooting up into the air.

"I wouldn't mind going, but I don't think I'll be a very good witness," she said, chuckling as the others made no reaction to her joke. "Amira-chan, could you come with me?" she asked, Amira nodding skittishly as Gabriel helped hoist Natsu out of the pool, the ghost trainer stretching over to where Judai was.

"Judai, I don't remember this being in the plan," he whispered, Judai chuckling.

"Plans change, bro," Judai said in the same tone, Jiro unaware of what was going on. "You suggestin' that June-senpai and Amira-senpai walk around with ya is too obvious that he'd know somethin's something's up, so I improvised a little. Look at this way, alone time with Amira-senpai," he said mischievously with his eyebrows lifting up and down several times.

Seeing him get pulled away, despite his resisting, Judai watched as Natsu looked back at the two girls walking on either side of him with his face completely covered in red. "I will not forget your sacrifice, my brother," he said with a salute and tears falling from his eyes.

"Something going on?" Jiro asked, finally noticing Natsu being pulled away.

"Not at all," Judai reassured, motioning for Mitsu. "Hey, Mitsu-senpai, did ya know that they make their shaved ice with actual ice pokémon. Maybe you can give them a run for their money," he said, Mitsu nodding in understanding as the two left, Jiro noticing the number of people staying with him slowly dwindling.

"I remember coming in here with a few more people," he said, noticing Maaya and Takeru walking in one of the directions, Takeru being led by his hand in Maaya's. "Even you guys?"

"Takeru asked me to show him around when we got here since he's never been to a place like this, so it's not like I can let him fumble around and embarrass our school," Maaya said. "Don't worry, you still got those three with you, and if things work out you and Alyssa may get to ditch them all, and have yourself a proper date. Good luck," she said teasingly again as Jiro pursed his lips in frustration, seeing Kaname and Sienna stand up, and move towards the food stands.

"You gotta be kidding," Jiro said, watching the two turn around.

"We never get to spend a whole lot of time together when it's not business," Kaname explained, leading Sienna down the way towards the rows of food being sold form the carts. "Mika-chan should be more than enough company you would want on a date with another girl, right?" he asked, Jiro unable to say no, letting them leave as both of the third year students began disappearing into the crowds.

"You sure this plan of his is gonna work out okay?" Sienna asked, Kaname chuckling as he looked back at Jiro sitting even more awkwardly with Mika.

"Remember when we first saw Kohashigawa battle?" he asked, Sienna nodding as her answer. "You said that his capacity for kindness and heart was what helped him win. This situation is no different than that one; he's letting his heart decide what we should be doing, no matter what it does to any of our minds. Although, I don't think he was expecting Ryuzaki to change things up, so he's just getting what he needs for our hearts to reach him. His plan is for Saito to finally have solace for what happened when Jiro took her out last year, and having them alone even with this Zorach girl, maybe she can finally find some peace of mind with him."

"He sure is some kid, isn't he?" Sienna asked. "None of us would be hanging out at the ghost dorm if it wasn't for him, and now he's doing all of this for his senpai. Makes you think what you would happen if he tried to intervene with all of our lives."

"He'd just never make any progress in his own," Kaname said walking ahead, Sienna following after him, still watching both Jiro and Mika sitting, facing away from each other on the fountain's stone ring.

"I don't suppose you have any plans while you were here?" Jiro asked, Mika shaking her head. "I think this is the first time since our date last year that we've spent any time together," he noticed, Mika's head raising instantly, shocked he still remembered. "So it makes me wonder if those other guys were planning this from the start, to give us some awkward alone time before Aly-chan gets here."

"Maybe," Mika answered. _"Is this happening because I told Natsu-kun about my date with him last year? Why would they be doing this, are they trying to ruin his chances with this girl? She makes him happy, and that should at least make me smile for him a bit, but why isn't it?"_ she asked, looking back over at Jiro. "Um, Jiro-kun…," she started, a light buzzing noise sounding in Jiro's pocket as he fished his phone out, and answered the call.

"Hello? Oh, Aly-chan, yeah I'm here," Jiro began talking. "I'm by the fountain, where are you at? Oh, okay, I'll see if I can find you, but you have a weird way of going about this dating thing," she said before hanging up, and holding out his hand for Mika. "She said she wants us to find her as a little game. The winner gets some kind of reward, so if I find her first, no hard feelings?" he asked with a wink, Mika's eyes barely reacting from behind her hair. "Wonder what she'd give you if you found her first," he said, unaware of Alyssa deep in the alleyway.

"The chance to beg for her life…," she said ominously as she moved further into the shadows, before disappearing from view entirely.

* * *

Running down the streets of the amusement, both Jiro and Mika began searching in all directions for the young girl, eventually passing into the main carnival area of the amusement park. Looking around one of the corners, Mika tried to find her friend's date, but saw that Jiro was already at one of the games, hailing her over. Handing her a water pistol, Jiro pointed, explaining how to play the game as Mika tried her best. As the timer on the clock above the game began counting down, Mika began shooting for erratically, Jiro grabbing the gun with her hand still on it, beginning to guide it as well as he could. As the bell rang for the game to end, the man behind the counter threw Jiro a small glass ring in the shape of a pink flower.

"You should give it to Alyssa-chan," Mika said as Jiro grasped her hand, sliding the ring onto her fourth finger. "What are you doing?"

"You did most of the work in all of that," Jiro answered. "Think of it as your prize, and maybe even an apology," he said, blushing slightly. "Being with you alone makes me remember our date last summer, and how I never really said sorry for running out on you when you asked me that question. When I think about it now, I can't give you my answer even now, so I'm sorry. Because of that, I want you to accept that as a promise from me that I'll give you a proper answer one day."

Mika's cheeks began to tint a red color, grabbing Jiro by his wrist, leading him through the rest of the carnival, the two beginning to play several of the games they played. Watching them from the different corners, the other dorm heads, Gabriel, Natsu, June, and Amira excluded, saw both of them having what seemed like the time of their lives as they ran through the amusement park, making it seem like they were the ones on a date. As the two sat down by the Ferris wheel waiting line, both began to catch their breath as the time on the Ferris wheel began flashing with the introduction of another hour, Jiro's eyes widening out of realization.

"Oh, you gotta be kidding me!" he shouted, Mika looking up at him confused. "I forgot all about Aly-chan," he said, Mika's earlier mood beginning to dim as her hair fell back into her widened eyes. "Do you think can help em look for her again, Mika-san?" he asked, Mika's mind acting as though it were just shattered by a bullet as she turned away from Jiro.

"S-Sure, that's why we were here, after all," she said. "It's not like I was enjoying myself during this anyway. You have your Alyssa-chan, so I guess I should help you look for her. I'll call you if I see her," she said, running away from Jiro, the latter holding out his hand to stop her, but to no avail, catching only the salty drops of tears that fell from her eyes.

* * *

Running across the streets of the amusement park, not even look where she was going, Mika's tears continued to fall from her eyes, and down to the ground behind her, trying to escape from the place altogether. _"How could I be so stupid? This was supposed to be his day with Alyssa-chan, not with me. How could I think that he would want to be with me, anymore?"_ she asked, tripping over her own footing, falling to the ground on her face, not bothering to get up as she hiccupped with her crying.

"Oh, is that you, Mika-san?" a voice asked, making Mika look up, the platinum colored hair making her cringe slightly as she tried to stand up. "I don't think it'd be a good thing for you to move around too much, you may have sprained your ankle," she said, her Murkrow sitting on her shoulder, staring down at her and the Ledian fluttering above her. "By the way, do you know where Jiro-kun is?" she asked, Mika's eyes producing more tears as she tried to stand back up on her own. "I told you not to force yourself," she said, catching her as she fell back down. "How about I take you to the infirmary so you can rest?" she asked, Mika nodding in agreement.

Running down the same path that Mika had headed down, Jiro looked on all sides of him, trying to find any of the other people he had come to the park with. Frantically looking for both his date, and Mika as he kept trying to dial her number on his phone, never receiving any reply, and continuing down the maze of booths.

"Hey, Jiro, what's up?" Gabriel asked, hailing him over, finding him alone. "Lose your date?"

"Among other people," Jiro admitted. "Listen, have you seen Mika-san anywhere around here? She ran off trying to find Aly-chan, and I can't find either of them anywhere. I thought you might've seen them, but the others aren't anywhere around her."

"If one of them is hurt, I can check the infirmary to see if any of them are there," Gabriel said, reaching for a walkie-talkie, asking about any admittance for the past few hours. "They got nothing, so chances are they're still somewhere in the park. Archen, go see if you find them," he said, Gabriel returning Bibarel to his pokéball, and sending Tauros out of his other one. "Search by foot and sky, huh?" he asked, Jiro nodding as he mounted his pokémon in a single leap.

* * *

Lightly kicking the side of his pokémon, Jiro commanded Tauros to move through the park, looking from side to side, trying to find either Mika or Alyssa, but not finding anything of the sort. Seeing Archen flapping above him, Jiro turned Tauros around, and back into another part of the carnival, hoping that to cover more ground. Travelling for at least another twenty minutes, Jiro began to notice Tauros slowing down, prompting him to dismount the large normal type, returning it to his pokéball, walking further into the more isolated parts of the park.

"Jiro-kun!" a voice called out, the trainer turning around to see Alyssa hailing him over towards her. "You have to help me, Mika-chan is hurt, and I can't get her out of here!" she shouted, pointing to an older ride, slated for abandonment, unnoticed by Jiro who definitely had other things on his mind. "She should be right inside there, you have to get her out, I'm not strong enough to carry her out of here."

"Don't worry, I'll take care of this, Aly-chan," he said, blindly running into the old haunted house where the lights had been turned off. "I can't see anything in here, how did you know she was in here, Aly-chan?" he asked, the lights quickly switching on, the sight almost sickening to Jiro, Mika unconscious, and hanging while tied to a crucifix, Ledian on the ground below her with Murkrow standing on the defeated pokémon. "What is this?" he asked, turning around to see a large hunting knife in his face.

"Move over there," Alyssa motioning towards the side of the room. "Remove your pokéballs," she said, Jiro grabbing both of the shrunken capsules, and promptly placed both on the table. "Good boy," she said, kicking him across the face to place him on the ground, stepping on his head to keep him down. "Now, for your reward, you get to watch your friend getting ripped to shreds, but only after she wakes up. I want her to scream when I do this."

"Who are you?" Jiro shouted, Alyssa looking down at him with a condescending look in her eyes.

"I'm still Alyssa Zorach, but not the little girl you thought you saved from those thugs," she said. "A little act to make you think you were saving a damsel in distress, but you saved the pretender to the throne. Those others were pretty good at falling down even if you have absolutely no power behind your punches. Your Tauros was pretty good, though. The act was only supposed to until you were knocked, but I couldn't have my cover blown by that big idiot of yours, so I had to do something in secret. Too bad, too, he was pretty good looking."

"You're sick," Jiro said, hear a small stirring from in front of both of them, seeing Mika's eyes begin to open. "Mika-san, try and get out of there!" he shouted, Mika opening her eyes to see her predicament, instantly struggling against the ropes keep her from getting away from whatever was happening.

"Alyssa-chan?" she questioned, the platinum hair girl chuckling as she threw one of the knives on her belt over towards her, barely missing her by an inch, Mika's eyes instantly widening out of fear as she struggled even more. "What are you doing?"

"Some very powerful people want your cold dead carcass, and I always deliver," she said, throwing another knife, slicing a few strands of hair off of Mika's side, her eyes beginning to produce a river of tears. "This idiot will be the consolation for my troubles, so just stay quiet, little girl. Actually, I want you to scream as loud as you can, no one is gonna be able to hear you," she said, throwing a third blade, cutting across Mika's cheek, a loud high pitched scream sounding from the young girl, Jiro's eyes beginning to close.

"What's wrong, Jiro-kun?" Alyssa asked tauntingly, Mika's cries still being heard from the background. "Realize how powerless you really are when something like this happens. I don't even know why that idiot thought you guys were tough, but apparently he was just weaker than I was expecting. He had a hostage, and you guys still went in guns blazing. What's so different? Is it because you like her?" she asked, Jiro's eyes snapping open as he reached down his waist for the deck of cards in his pocket.

Twisting his arm out of place, Jiro made a single flick straight up, the card in his hand flying into the air as though it had some kind of weight inside of it, the picture of an ace card flying past Alyssa's faces, making her recoil back with Jiro spinning out from underneath her. Flicking two more cards from the deck, Jiro turned back around, enough time to dodge a slash from Alyssa's hunting knife, the two cards knocking both of his pokéballs from the table he had placed them on, bouncing once to enlarge, and then release the contents, Bibarel and Tauros bursting out of their confines, looking down at Alyssa and Murkrow.

"Thanks for getting these back to me," Jiro said, shuffling the deck of cards in a single hand. "You have no idea how long it takes to get the weights installed on the sides," he said, both Alyssa and Mika speechless. "You spend as much time as I do alone, you learn to make things a bit more interesting, and card tricks can get kinda boring, so you improvise," he said, dropping all of the cards back into the small box.

"You're fast, I'll give you that, but are you this fast?" she asked, throwing another knife, this one directly aimed at Mika's face. As the knife travelled through the sky, it came within inches of hitting Mika, but seemed to warp its path, or rather the cross she was tied to was moved out of the way. "What!?" she questioned, seeing Tauros having rammed into the cross, pushing it almost out of the support.

"Didn't have to be, just had to be smarter," Jiro said, Bibarel standing next to him as it charged Alyssa, the trainer calling her Murkrow, the black bird pokémon flapping wildly towards the water and normal mix. "Tauros, Rock Slide!" Jiro called out, Tauros ramming its foot into the ground, several of the cement pieces below them cracking with much of the shrapnel exploding from the crevices to attack the flying type.

Running over from where he was, Jiro left Alyssa to Bibarel, the water type spinning around to slap her with its tail, coming incredibly close if not for her speed. Beginning to untie her from the wooden cross, Jiro looked directly down at the wound that Mika had sustained, his eyes filling with anger once again.

"I'm so sorry," he said, untying the first of her hands, and moving to her ankles, having her untie her other hand. "This is all my fault, and I swear that I'll get you out of here," he said, unaware that Murkrow had taken back to the skies, turning around fast enough to see its claws about to dig into his arm.

"Ledian!" Mika shouted, the bug type speeding through the air with a single fist engulfed in a light blue light. "You gotta love the Mach Punch," she said jokingly as Murkrow flew back across the sky, both Tauros and Bibarel engaging Alyssa, the assassin barely able to dodge both of her moves at the same time.

Looking back at her target, Alyssa gritted her teeth, and threw her large hunting knife at the both of them, neither of them aware of the attack, allowing herself to be attacked by both Tauros and Bibarel. Noticing the slower moving weapon, Bibarel chattered at both of the trainers, Jiro instantly seeing the knife, holding Mika as close as he could to him.

"I'll keep you safe," he said quietly as both heard the clang of metal ramming into a rock as the knife stuck directly above Jiro's head. "Wow," he said, letting Mika have some breathing room, the flying trainer still grasping him as hard as she could.

"You two okay?" Gabriel asked from the open doorway, the stones from an Ancient Power still circling around his Archen. "I saw that this place was opened, and figured I'd find something interesting, and lo and behold. So this is your girl?" he asked, looking over at Alyssa, barely able to stand after being attacked by both of Jiro's pokémon. "Definitely not gonna be a stable relationship right there," he said, Alyssa pointing at Jiro.

"You'll regret getting in my way," she said, Jiro looking at her with a more solemn look in his eyes. "You'll regret this, Jiro Matsushita."

"I regret only three things in my life," Jiro said. "That I was not able to be what I really wanted, that I was never honest with myself about such a thing, and that I was never honest with a person I cared about more than myself," he said, turning back to Mika, the flying trainer blushing slightly. "Crossing you is going to be something I'll never forget."

"I'll be back," she said, throwing a smoke ball on the ground, her Murkrow disappearing into the skies, most likely with her in tow, from the trail of smoke coming out of the hole in the ceiling.

As she walked through the building, Mika's knees began quivering once again as she almost collapsed, grasping Jiro's body even tighter, her eyes filling with tears as she began sobbing every tear that she hadn't from the previous situation. As she wailed, soaking Jiro's shirt, the normal type trainer placed a hand on her head, stroking her hair to give her at least some comfort, looking up to see Gabriel giving him a mischievous grin, giving him a motion to leave them alone. Gabriel, nodding in understanding, left the room, and reached down for his walkie-talkie.

"Mission successful, good jobs, guys," he said, talking off the nametag, and walking back down the path towards the main park. _"Kohashigawa really is an interesting person, but those two are the ones to shine today. For him to risk his life for her, taking those kinds of gambles, knowing very well what could happen to either of them, he's either extremely brave, or stupid. Although those two are usually synonymous. But I guess that's the Aura Jiro brings. The Aura that comes from being honest with others, and willing to do something incredibly stupid. The Aura that comes from putting yourself second, the Aura of Courage. A quality hard to find in people nowadays, but I think Mika is lucky to find one with it."_

* * *

Back in the abandoned area, Mika's tears had finally stopped, Jiro's shirt drenched with her tears. As she lifted her head from where she had buried it, she looked at what she did, and then back up at Jiro, both trying to keep each other from laughing, but eventually unable to help each other. Stroking her hair once again, Jiro looked directly into Mika's eyes, the latter embarrassed by the scene as she turned away.

"'Even if you want to hide your eyes, I know that they must be beautiful,'" he started saying, Mika instantly looking up with surprise as he looked back down. "'More beautiful than the stars in the sky, and the treasures of the deep blue ocean.' It's the only line I've never used twice to get a girl, and I'm proud of that fact," he said. "I'm sorry about how I made you feel today, Mika-san, and if you want to know who I really am, it's gonna take some time to sort everything out, so if it's not fast enough, I understand," he said, standing up, Mika holding onto his arm.

"I waited for a year to know why you wanted to go out with me," Mika started. "I think I can wait a bit longer," she said, grabbing onto his arm like the two were a proper couple. "We should probably change that wet shirt, don't you think?" she asked, the subject of wet clothing make both of them instantly change their expression, pointing at each other. "Natsu-kun!" they both said, bolting out of the haunted house.

* * *

"Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to change up the plan," Judai said, Natsu out cold, both June and Amira chuckling nervously. "What did ya girls do to my bro?" he asked, Amira pointing over at June to keep the blame off of her. "June-senpai?"

"I just suggested that we take his shirt off to keep him from getting too cold, and he went out cold," she said, Judai slumping his shoulders as he rubbed his temples, Maaya bursting out in laughter as the other dorm heads looked from both the unconscious ghost trainer to the closeness between Mika and Jiro. "By the way, where's Mitsu-chan?" June brought up, the others noticing that she was right, looking around the room to find the ice trainer nowhere near here.

* * *

Back in the middle of the park, the sun beginning to set over the horizon, Mitsu waited at the entrance to the park, her red hair blowing in the small wind as a large figure, wrapped in bandages stepped up to her. The man began walking by her, not giving her a sideways glance, reaching for the scar along the side of his face.

"Reaper sure did a number on you, didn't he?" she asked, the man freezing in place. "It still doesn't match your original wound, though."

"I can't take all the credit for it," the man said. "I had quite a bit of help. Your name is Ichihana, isn't it? I remember you from the newspaper on that kidnapping case a few years ago. That sure was something, wasn't it? Did they ever find out who it was?" he asked.

"Evidently not," Mitsu said. "Why are you targeting us from the school? We're just students, we have no beef with you guys, and you really shouldn't be concerned with us," she said, the man grabbing her shirt, and pulling up by the collar.

"None of you in that place are normal," the man said, Mitsu trying to keep from having him breath directly on her. "You people who can't die are protected by something I need, and obviously you won't just give it up without finding out what it is. Your friend, Reaper, by the way, is definitely an important asset for you people. You know what they say, keep your friends close and those who lie even closer," he said. "When you see him next, tell him the Don sends his regards," he said, leaving the scene, Mitsu looking back at him.

"What does that mean?" she asked, the man already disappearing. _"Nothing here is making any sense. But these people are too similar for them to be copycats. Why does the past always have to come back to haunt you? But what does he mean that Reaper was close to us? Does he mean Natsu-kun? No way, but it just might be the way it is. Could he really be the Reaper?"_

* * *

Characters:

Jiro Matsushita: Bibarel & Tauros. GoldenfeatherKyru

Mitsuta "Mitsu" Ichihana: Glaceon & Sneasel. Crossroader32

Mika Saito: Ledian & Pidgeotto. Cyanide the Sneasel

Natsu Kohashigawa: Lampent & Golett. NightFall00

Judai Ryuzaki: Monferno & Torkoal. Jexo

Maaya Yoshida: Hitmonchan & Hitmonlee. emmausgirl94

Amira Khumalo: Kirlia & Duosion. FlyPandaBear

Takeru Sanjero: Mothim & Heracross. Moth's Aflame

Kaname Misaki: Sableye & Absol. Ariesbird

Sienna Smith: Vibrava & Fraxure. Fluttersong

June Kurosaki: Lairon & Skarmory. Lady Island Rose

Gabriel Volantis: Archen & Tirtouga. WereDragon EX

* * *

Chapter nine complete. Sorry it's a bit shorter than my normal stuff, but I was still able to get everything that I wanted. So the new couple I was going to introduce was Jiro and Mika, so thoughts on that? With this next chapter, I'm going to be moving into the summer chapters, and this is based on the Japanese school system, so this is not the end of the school year, just to make sure this is clear. So to summarize this chapter, we got the forming of Jiro and Mika pairing, and Mitsuta is starting to become more aware of the presence of Reaper in their lives. If all goes well, she won't find out, but with Natsu's current track record, that's not looking so good. Next chapter is one that people have been requesting, and let's just say that if this goes well, you won't be able to see it coming. If that didn't make it obvious, I don't know what does. Let me know what you thought of this chapter, and what you think is gonna happen next. Until we meet again, ja nee.


	11. The Truth in Duty

Hey, guys, I'm back with the next chapter with HDD, and I'm sorry to say, but this is not the chapter I expected to make for this next one. Originally I had planned to do one for June, but looking through the character lists, I kinda wanted to make others stand out a little bit more, because the three third year students are kinda glazed over a lot, and I want to affirm their positions in this story, even if it's not according to my plans. But then again plans were made to be changed, and I am no different. This chapter gets a bit more into the idea of this being based on the Japanese school year, so here's the lowdown; the school year starts in April, and goes until June, and then the student go off for summer break, after that they go from September to March, and break for Spring break, and this is the school year in Japan. Most schools have finals during June, so you can kinda guess where this is going.

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN POKÉMON, BECAUSE IF I DID, GHOSTS AND DRAGONS WOULD NOT BE WEAK TO THEMSELVES.**

* * *

Chapter 10: The Truth in Duty

How many of you have a certain job you do around the house? Something you do to help out when your parents are too busy to do it themselves, or it's been what you do for all your life since your were knee high to them. For a lot of kids, they'll always complain about how their parents force all this work on them, and that it's not fair they have to do it when their parents can instead. But really, what makes work, well, "work?" Work is generally something you say with a negative connotation, making it sound worse than it is, saying you're going off to work, normally with a grimace instead of a smile. While there is no other way to think about one's job or occupation, but to characterize it as work, work around the house to help others, should never be considered as something that who shouldn't want to do. Work for someone else is simply helping them out, and the difference is all in one's attitude. Doing something merely for the gain afterwards is what people call work, but when it's done for nothing more than the satisfaction of a job done right, that's what is called help, and doing one's civic duty.

* * *

The sound of the vacuum continued to roar behind Gabriel as he pushed the hose of the large machine further down the seats of a customer's car, looking underneath the seats to see it littered far past what could be called healthy. Cringing slightly as he reached back towards the vacuum and grabbed a longer nozzle to place at the end of the hose, sticking it in under the driver's side seat, taking only a few minutes to have it looking already better from a sanitation standpoint. Gabriel stood up from his work, still wearing the navy blue jumpsuit he was issued, wiping the sweat away from his forehead, the near summer sky beating down on him.

With Archen on top of the car, fanning his trainer with his wings, Gabriel looked back at the car, looking it over as carefully as he could, nodding at the job he had done, before switching the vacuum off, the roar subsiding, and Gabriel smiling as he turned back to the customer. Tossing her the set of keys, Gabriel gave a quick nod as the woman looked over her car, every stain gone from the carpeting, every smudge gone from the exterior, and not even a sign of the late night snack she had last night. She gave a gentle smile as she slipped a small piece of paper into Gabriel's hand in the form of a fairly sizeable tip.

As the woman drove off, Gabriel waited for Archen to fly back down to his shoulder, and then motioned for Tirtouga to follow, the water and rock type slightly tired from hosing down the car with its own power. Walking into a small office building, Gabriel took a step in before bowing to his supervisor, a fairly pudgy man with a balding head, the man motioning for him to come closer to him. As Gabriel walked further into his office, Archen and Tirtouga waited for him at the very end of the room, the man in front of him not having a very bright appearance.

"Is there a problem, sir?" Gabriel asked, scratching his head as the man nodded as his answer.

"Yes, Gabriel, there is a problem," the man said, pulling out a small file of papers, marked with Gabriel's name. "I'm sorry Gabriel, but I'm going to have to terminate you," he said plainly, but as apologetically as he could muster, Gabriel left shocked by the sudden declaration. "You never told me that you were a student. Lying during your interview isn't something I tolerate in my applicants. Aside from that, you know that I turn back student workers, they don't have time to work the hours I need them during."

"Technically I wasn't lying because you never asked me about that," Gabriel tried to say in his defense, the man at the desk, not willing to argue one the subject of his being a student. "Come on, you gotta keep me on, here, this was the only job I could land after working at the amusement park," he kept pleading, his supervisor shaking his head to answer.

"I called about that last week," the man said. "They said you ran off from your job to deal with a personal matter. In fact, everywhere you've been working so far has been saying that you always leave to deal with your own personal issues. You're a good worker, so I can write you a good referral, but you have to learn that something like this isn't going to look good on any résumé or reference list. Not a lot of places around here can hire students as workers, but that also brings something else to mind," he said, Gabriel cringing at the thought of what was coming next. "If you're here, right now, then you aren't in your classes, are you?"

"No, sir, I'm not," Gabriel admitted. "But, please, you'd let me stay here if you knew how important it was to me to have this job," he said, the man waiting for an explanation, but sadly it was one that he couldn't bring up. "I'm sorry, it's something personal I can't discuss with you."

"And it's because of that attitude that I can't keep you on, anymore," his supervisor said. "All I can tell you is to get back to school, and maybe I can do something for you after you pass your finals," he said the mere mention of the event causing an automatic tensing in Gabriel's fist. "I'm really sorry about this, Gabriel, if it weren't for the student matter, I'd let you stay, I really would, but as it stands, I can be involved in a legal matter of keeping you away from what you have to do."

"You've no idea of what I _really_ have to do," Gabriel said, unzipping his jumpsuit, his clothes still on underneath, reaching into a closet on the side of the room where his blazer was laying, the name across the back making his supervisor look back at him with a surprised look on his face. "Thanks for everything, hopefully your referral will help," he said, both of his pokémon following after him, the man still dumbfounded after seeing Gabriel's name as the door closed.

* * *

Walking down the sidewalk streets towards the subway depot, Gabriel kicked one of the rocks in his way out of the way, only his Archen following him in the air, his Tirtouga already returned to its ball. As the two passed some of the shops along the sidewalk leading to the train station, Gabriel looked at the some of the "help wanted" signs, all of them saying things "Experience required," "Must be twenty one or older," or "No Student Workers." Groaning slightly with the sight of all of these messages, Gabriel walked back towards the subway.

"_That's how the world works, I guess,"_ he said, shaking his head. _"You can't get a job unless you've had a job, or you can't have the job you want because they don't accept who you are. Probably a harsh way of looking at it, but still,"_ he said, walking by the maid café on the corner near the station. _"Girls like Khumalo don't have it so rough with an option like that, although I'm sure Kohashigawa could manage a job like that. I guess some people have it easier than others."_

Stepping into the subway depot, Gabriel waited impatiently for the subway, walking towards the edge of the rail, letting the steel contraption pass in front of him before boarding, taking a seat by the door. As the train began moving across the ground, taking everyone within it for a bit of ride of shock as it suddenly left the station, Gabriel staying motionless as Archen found his way to the top of his head. With the sight of the station coming into view, and the school he was currently going to beginning to creep closer, Gabriel gave a quick sigh.

"_Final exams, huh?"_ he said. _"This isn't going to end well for me at all."_

* * *

"Huh, final exams?" Natsu asked, Judai sitting in front of him in class as the fire trainer propped his legs up on the desk, his sandwich coming to his mouth with each bite. "What do you mean by that?" he asked, some amount of the food being spit out from the quick realization.

"Ah, it's nothin' much," Judai said, looking back at Natsu as he never changed his position. "They talked about at the beginning of the year, sayin' that the final exams were going to be takin' place in three different categories, your academics, your elective class, and your battlin'. It's not that big of a deal, but if ya fail your academic and battlin' finals, ya gotta take a few classes over the summer. I don't think a guy like my bro is gonna have any problems with this, though. Your elective final is more of a throw-away, more of just to see how ya did in the one subject you're supposed to be enjoyin', if ya catch my drift," he explained.

"How do you feel about it, Judai?" Natsu asked, Judai chocking on his food slightly as he sat back up straight. "Not good, huh?"

"Well, things could always be going better for me, let's just say that," he replied. "Amira-senpai won't be havin' much problem doin' it, so you two can have a bit of summer love goin' on there," he said mischievously, Natsu's face already turning a red color. "Maaya-senpai's grades have never been the best, but if she can get Takeru-senpai to help, she might be able to get some work done with that. Mika-senpai and Jiro-senpai are gonna be studyin' by themselves this year, and Mitsu-senpai and June-senpai are still tryin' to find some way of studyin'."

"What about the third year students?" Natsu asked, noticing that Judai never mentioned Kaname, Sienna, or Gabriel.

"Kaname-senpai is the student body president, and he holds that title for more than just the pretty face, let me tell ya," Judai answered. "Sienna-senpai is a bit of a mysterious one, she's not very well known outside of her being the dorm head for the dragon dorm. She's not as social with the rest of us, and she really only spends the most time with Kaname-senpai. So, that's really a coin flip. But if you're talkin' about the last one," he started, making a sharp inhale when he got to Gabriel. "Gabriel-senpai isn't as serious about his school life as other people are, and a lot of the teachers are really hard on him for it. That dude just has his own way of doin' things."

"Do you think everyone will be okay in the long run?" Natsu asked, Judai shaking his hand to show that it could go either way. "What do people do around summer time, anyway?"

"Hmm, seein' as you've been in trainin' for a good part of your life, it's understandable ya don't know," Judai noticed, sitting back in his chair. "Bein' in a private school like this, you have to wonder what some people do, but I guess most of them go home, or somethin' like that. But for us dorm heads, we gotta stay here in case somethin' happens at the school. The others told me we get to go to the beach durin' one of the weeks. Hey, good chance to check out Amira-senpai in a bathin' suit," he said, nudging Natsu on the shoulder as the images in his friend's mind became all to vivid for him to control.

Seeing Natsu's entire face erupt in a puff of smoke, Judai couldn't help but grin as he kept teasing his friend about his supposedly unconfirmed crush on the upperclassman. Looking out at the classroom, watching a lot of the other students in the room studying in a small group, Judai's face slowly turned into a grin as he turned back to Natsu, a mischievous grin on his face as he kept his toothy smile on him, a bead of sweat dropping from the latter's forehead.

"_Why do I not have a good feeling about this?"_ Natsu questioned, backing off slightly as Judai watched the door open with Koichi walking into the room. _"And how in the world is he every going to say 'no' to the kind of idea that Judai's already cooked up?"_ he continued on, Koichi beginning to write on the chalkboard before turning around to see Judai's raised hand.

"Rare occasion, the boy actually waited for me to call on him," Koichi said jokingly as Judai feigned amusement. "I know you want something, Ryuzaki. Every time you want something, you actually act like you care about who I am, or that I exist."

"Quick as a whip, sensei," Judai said, fanning the flames as he pointed back at Natsu. "Just thought I should give ya fair warning that the dorm heads were gonna be comin' over to your place for a little study party," he said, the other students in the class flabbergasted that he brought this up at that point, Koichi left without a word to say. "Wait for it," he said, counting down on his fingers until he reached zero, Koichi immediately throwing his papers into the air, and speeding down the aisle made by the desks to wear Judai was, bowing to him multiple times.

"I bow in respect to you, oh, great one," Koichi said, not making things any easier for Natsu, Judai keeping the same grin on his face as his plan had already been set in motion. "Tell you what, you two go on out and get the others to agree while I keep going," he said, dancing happily all the way back to the front of the room, none of the students too pleased to see that.

"I obviously didn't anticipate that part," Judai said, standing up from his seat, pulling Natsu along with him. "On the plus side, we get out of class for the moment. Go talk to June-senpai, and see if you can find Gabriel-senpai; he normally skips out on the class, so he'll either be off campus or wandering around the school," he said, Natsu nodding as the two went their separate ways.

"_I wonder why Volantis-senpai doesn't like going to school like the others do,"_ Natsu said, walking through the hallways, peeking through some of the windows to see if either of the two people he was supposed to talk to were there. _"Even when I first met him, he said we was coming back from a part-time job, but I don't think he was working at the amusement park back then. He smelled like he was working in a restaurant, so why was he working down there when we saw him a few weeks ago. Why does he do all those jobs, and still not do well in school?"_

As though it were fate, Gabriel began walking back down the pathway towards his classroom, looking down the way to see Natsu waving at him, seeming to hail him over. Sighing slightly, Gabriel began to increase his stride as he walked over to Natsu, leaning up against the wall next to him, just outside his classroom door.

"Um…, Judai wanted to know if you'd want to come to a study party tonight at the ghost dorm," Natsu said, almost forcing it out due to his own shyness. "I'm sure it's okay if you say no, I have to find June-senpai to see if she's coming, and then I-," he began saying, kind of rambling on as Gabriel looked down at him with a smirk in his eyes.

"I'll be there," he answered, Natsu looking up at him with surprise at how easily the answer came. "I'm gonna need some help with my finals, so if Kaname and Sienna are there, it might actually do me some good. Thanks for inviting me, Kohashigawa, see you there," he said, as Natsu thanked him, bowing as he left while Gabriel simply waved back to him before entering the classroom, all eyes turning towards him. "Hello to you too, sunshine."

"Need I remind your, Mr. Volantis, it is neither wise nor beneficial to appear in class late again," the teacher in the front said, turning back to the board as Gabriel took a quick seat in the back of the classroom, lifting his legs onto the table in front of him, looking back as Natsu's silhouette was still visible, running through the hallways to find June.

"_I've said it before, Kohashigawa, you're one tough guy to figure out," _he said. _"Never mind the fact that you could pass of as a girl, you're completely committed to whatever you're told to do. Too bad I can't be like that; me, I just decide if it has any value to me, or not. Even when you asked me to do this thing, I just did it because of the chance to get some extra practice in before I meet my final verdict."_

As class continued on for Gabriel, he simply kept thinking about what had happened earlier at his other job, tensing his grip against his other arm as he continued to shake his head out of frustration. _"I need to pass these finals. I can't make any extra money by just being who I am, and battling for money is still illegal. Easy money, but I can't make any decent money from behind bars. Not to mention I'd never hear the end of it from my parents,"_ he said to himself, looking at the window leading out back to the hallway, seeing Natsu's silhouette as well as Judai's, chuckling to himself. _"Those two are obviously the best of friends, and I think that's what's been helping Kohashigawa. I remember when he first came here; the dude could've been afraid of his own shadow for all we knew, and now look at him. He's almost able to stomach being in the same room as a bunch of girls. He's smart, friendly, and pretty much everything a girl could want, and a few guys by the looks of it."_

* * *

Back on the outside of Gabriel's classroom, Judai and Natsu began walking back down the hallway towards Amira's, Maaya's, and Takeru's class, the former noticing Natsu's face covered in red. Giving off a mischievous smile, Judai began nudging Natsu arm for information, which Natsu wasn't exactly too forthcoming with.

"Let me guess, ya almost had to fend off June-senpai with a chair and whip?" he asked, Natsu nodding as his answer. "Man, that girl isn't helpin' me with Amira-senpai," he said under his breath as Natsu looked up at him trying to figure out what he just said. "Oh, it's nothing. Although, I can't help but think that June-senpai's got a little crush on you, bro. The way she keeps hanging around you whenever she comes to the ghost dorm, and everything else she does to you. Might be wise to put a few people in between the two of you when we do this thing."

"Why doesn't Gabriel-senpai like coming to school?" Natsu asked, a little out of the blue, but Judai figured he had his reasons. "It's almost as though he wants to do something else, so why is that?" he asked, Judai looking back towards Gabriel's classroom with a smile.

"Gabriel-senpai is all about his future," Judai answered. "His last name is that same as the current CEO of the famous Casteliacone Company, so you can bet that he's loaded. And yet, he never seems to refer to himself as anythin' but his name. He doesn't want us to look at him with some kind of admiration or anything like, and he just seems to try to fit in with everyone else. I just think he doesn't want anyone to make a big deal out of who he is."

"So why does he do all of those jobs?" Natsu continued asking, Judai soon becoming at a loss for words. "If his family is so rich, then why does he always go to work instead of school?"

"That's a whole other issue altogether, bro," Judai said. "It's too bad that he don't like to talk about himself too much. I figured out the family angle just from goin' to that stand so many times. It's almost like he's tryin' to hide who he is. Ya could probably ask him yourself, but chances are, ya won't like the result. I heard a lot of people that try to get close to him are always shot down without a second thought. Although, in retrospect, I think that's only with the girls that keep on confessin' to him. I think that's why people always group you two together."

"What do you mean?" Natsu asked.

"Well, when ya first got here, a lot of buzz was goin' around like ya were the same kinda guy as Gabriel-senpai," Judai explained. "He didn't start comin' to school until his second year, from what I hear, and it was real sudden the way it was done. A lot of people thought it was some kinda mafia deal. Anyway, with the two of ya bein' so similar in your secrets, people started groupin' the two of ya together. I think I still got the doujin people were passin' around," he said, Natsu mouth hanging wide open. "What's more, both of ya have the same abilities in what the other is openly good at. Senpai can be real good with his grades, but he doesn't try, and you can be a fantastic battler if you just grow a spine. People think that you two are so different, you're the same. It also makes you the favorites to win the competition at the end of the year."

* * *

After going through the final group of dorm heads, Judai and Natsu had confirmation from all twelve dorm heads, and were beginning to make their way back to the ghost dorm for preparations, or more the show that went along with it. As the two left their classroom after their venture, both Judai and Natsu could already see the ghost dorm almost morphing in its shape as Cofagrigus and Jellicent, both of Koichi's pokémon, continually floated around the area, cleaning of every single surface. Looking forward at the front door, Natsu could see his Golett standing in the doorway, shaking his head from side to side as he pointed back into the ghost dorm with its thumb. Both Judai and Natsu cringed slightly as they reached the door, and peered inside, almost being thrown back out of shock at the sight.

"Obviously our teacher's been along for quite some time," Judai said almost afraid to step inside with the scent of the different cleaners invading his nose, and knowing any one of them could've been flammable. "If Monferno comes into this place, it's gonna go up in a mushroom cloud," he said, imitating an explosion as he took a few steps. "Call me when the smell dissipates, I'll get Torkoal ready for our training sessions," he said, Natsu nodding in understanding, walking in.

"Um, Koichi-san," Natsu started, covering his nose. "Don't you think this is a bit much?" he asked, Koichi stopping what was he was doing, holding two different aerosols in his hands, like they were guns, before turning around. "They're just staying overnight because we'll be studying for a long time, so I don't think you have to shine every surface," he said, placing his bag on the table, seeing it slowly slide along the surface until it fell to the ground.

"Maybe I _am_ overdoing it," Koichi said, placing Natsu's bag back on the table, only for it to do the same thing again as the two simply watched. "But look it from my point of view. I haven't had more than three people sleep in this dorm for the past ten years, and now I'm having the most prominent students in the school all in one place for an entire twenty-four hour period. For me, this is like finding a legendary pokémon in the kind of position that just screams 'catch me.' This is a dream come true."

"_Koichi-san really has been alone for a long time, hasn't he?"_ Natsu said to himself as he picked his bag up off from the ground, and made his way to the stairwell leading to his room. _"Almost twice as long as I have been training Lampent, and I was alone for all that time, too. He did say that we have very different views of what it's like to be alone, and I think he's right. I guess I'll just have to tolerate this much for tonight," _he said, taking one step towards the step, before slipping on the cleaner that was used to polish the wooden planks. _"On second thought,"_ he said, lying on the ground with Koichi looking as though he were having a stroke.

"You okay, Natsu?" Koichi asked, Natsu snapping his fingers as Lampent floated down from the stairs and back into the main living room, beginning to produce a few small sparks of fire. "You wouldn't," he said, Natsu looking up at him with a challenging face. "Yes, you would. Jellicent!" he shouted, the water and ghost mix floating in from the outside. "Drench the place," he said with tears in his eyes, his pokémon following the instructions to the letter.

* * *

"Are you still mad?" Koichi asked, running a blow dryer over the two sofas and the table in the center of the lobby area as Natsu continued to run a towel through his hair, keeping it draped over his head while taking a seat on the bottom step. "Jellicent's Water Pulse was able to wash away a lot of the effects from the cleaner that fell on the ground, but it still smells like it in here doesn't it," he said as Natsu pointed up at Lampent, already prepared to put the whole place up in smoke. "Alright, fine! It was my fault; I'm a bad person, or whatever you need me to say."

Natsu didn't say anything still, simply keeping his face hidden from behind the towel, much of his body still damp from Jellicent's quick cleaning job. His mind was still on Gabriel; he was brilliant, and he remembered how easily he was able to understand advanced geology, and yet, Judai kept talking about something like how he was going to have so many different problems during the finals. None of it made sense to him, but maybe it would to Koichi. Even though he was a teacher, he was more worried about his own agendas, so maybe he would know a little bit.

"Koichi-san, what do you know about Gabriel-senpai?" he asked, Koichi straightening up his stance before turning to him. "Everyone keeps saying how he doesn't like to come to school, do you know why that is?" he asked, Koichi giving a sigh before sitting down on the dried off sofa.

"Are you familiar with the principle that people are only afraid of what they don't understand?" Koichi asked. "Well, at the same time, people become easily fascinated with things they don't know a whole lot about, but only when he know it isn't dangerous. People became extremely enticed by him in his first year here because they only knew about his family. And truth be told, nobody knows anything past that much. A lot of people were actually convinced that he wasn't even a student, and just needed the title to keep him away from any potential dangers. In fact, the biker you took out as Reaper when you first came here, a few of the students thought that either you or the other guy was after him."

"So, why does nobody try to actually find the truth about him?" Natsu asked.

"It's too bad the world isn't as simple as we want it to be," Koichi said, running the blow dryer against the couch adjacent to him. "There are two reasons why people haven't learned more about him; first, he is extremely secretive, but not about his family. He doesn't care about who his family is, and he never hangs that over anyone's head, but about his personal life, he's never really opened about it. Everyone knows he does the part-time jobs, but that's about the extent of that knowledge."

"And what's the second reason?" Natsu asked.

"He's never been one to accept people into a surrogate family that a lot of people make when they come into a private school," Koichi said. "He's tried to keep to himself, even after he'd been named the dorm head for his element, and whenever he seems to be close to another person, he tries to distance himself from them before they can ever find out something incredibly personal. The only person he's never had a hard time being around is actually you. You've probably the longest standing friend he's had since he came here. If anyone's gonna break his shell, it's gonna have to be you."

As Koichi moved to finish his other preparations for their study group later that night, Natsu pulled the towel from his head, and moved back to the upper levels of the dorm building before entering his room. From what his teacher had just said previously, and what Judai had already talked about when it came to Gabriel, a lot of things weren't making sense, but the only way for them to start doing so was when everyone was together.

* * *

Judai returned to the dorm with Torkoal following sluggishly after him, no longer having to worry about completely torching the building, and waited in the center of the lobby with Natsu. As per the agreement with coming, the dorm heads were only to bring their secondary pokémon with them for their practice in their battling finals. As Golett sat with its legs crossed as though in meditation, Natsu stood up, and sat down in the small entryway, waiting for anyone else to walk in. Within a few minutes, the first few of the dorm heads began to walk in, Amira, Takeru, Maaya, Mika, and Jiro, all coming at the same time, with their pokémon Duosion, Heracross, Hitmonlee, Pidgeotto, and Tauros walking beside them.

"So, tell me how this is better than just studying by myself," Maaya said.

"Because we all know that if we leave ya by yourself, ya'll flunk at least three subjects, and you're gonna hafta battle a ghost type with that Hitmonlee of yours, knowin' your luck," Judai said, Maaya not as amused as she sat down on one of the seats around the large table. "Actually, I heard that if you hear the same thin' from more than one person, it fits in your head a bit more easily. So maybe Takeru-senpai won't hafta tell you for the thirtieth time," he said, chuckling, and then looking up at Maaya, instantly regretting what I said.

As the violence ensued, both Jiro and Takeru continued to watch as Mika kept applauding both Maaya and Judai as the latter continued to try and escape from the brutal attacks. Natsu, instead, watched both of them with a bead of sweat dropping from his forehead with a nervous chuckle as he looked over at Amira who held up her notebook for him to read.

"_I hope it's not too much of a problem with us staying overnight, like this,"_ she wrote, Natsu looking back at Koichi, the teacher's eyes producing a river of tears, primarily of joy.

"I don't think it's that big of an issue," Natsu said while chuckling. "I'm just sorry that we kind of asked you at the last minute to come to this, and you may even end up helping me or Judai out with our studies," he said, bowing apologetically.

"_I don't really mind, it's a good review for me to help others with their studies,"_ Amira wrote. _"Besides, maybe I can even get Maaya-chan to study seriously, so she doesn't have to make up those classes during the summer,"_ she wrote, both of them chuckling together at the idea as Judai was able to pick up on it just slightly while sticking his thumb out of the dust cloud made by the continuous blows from Maaya.

"_That's right, my brother, continue your relationship, and soon I will have made you a man among men,"_ Judai said with tears similar to Koichi's as another figure appeared at the door, everything stopping as Natsu walked past, and opened it. _"If not for one major roadblock,"_ Judai said to himself, seeing June in the door, her smile wide, running her fingers through Natsu's hair.

"Your hair smells so nice, tonight," June said, looking a bit disappointed. "You must've taken a bath already. That's too bad, I was hoping to make this night really special," she said teasingly, Natsu's entire face erupting into a puff of smoke as he quickly ran back to the table, Maaya also catching a whiff of some of his hair. "You don't know how to take a joke, do you, Natsu-kun?"

"That's beside the point," Maaya said, stepping on top of Judai once to get to where Natsu was. "His hair smells exactly like the shampoo my brother used to make me use. This is too rich," he said, quickly looking over at Takeru. "Take note of this, I've got so much to use against this kid, it isn't even funny, now. Unless I decide to sell his secrets online," she said, Natsu letting out a depressed sigh as he looked back over towards the door.

"My sister used to take away all the shampoo in our house so I had to use hers," Natsu explained. "She thought it was funny to make even more like a girl; give my dad another excuse to try and toughen me up. She was always able to find out where I was in Unova, and sent more bottles to me via the PokéMart. I'm on the last one right now."

"I don't know what's worse about that whole thing," Jiro said. "The fact you're sister was that possessive, or that you actually bothered to use them for this long."

"I didn't want to waste her money by throwing them away," Natsu answered.

"So you decided that sabotaging your own masculinity was the better option," a voice said from the doorway, leading to Kaname with Sienna, Mitsu, and Gabriel in tow. "I found the others, so I figured we'd all come together as a group," he said, walking up into the room. "May as well get started, then, what do you say?" he suggested, the others, Mitsu walking past Natsu with a studying look in her eye.

"_Is it really possible that Natsu-kun is actually the Reaper in disguise?"_ she said to herself, sitting directly across from Natsu, staring directly at him. _"He just doesn't seem like the kind of person capable of that kind of control over some of his pokémon,"_ she tried to convince herself as Judai pushed Amira to the seat directly next to Natsu, both of their cheeks becoming flush from the close proximity. _"And with that lack of backbone, can you blame me?"_

Mitsu continued to be more interested in studying Natsu than she was in her open book as the others all began, looking down in their textbooks, writing down everything they could, Maaya and Mika taken aback slightly at the speed Takeru was writing at. As Mitsu took small glances between her own book and Natsu, she noticed his eyes beginning to dim as he looked at the book, passively writing down what he read while holding his head up in his open hand, trying to keep from what look liked was an sudden onset of sleepiness. In the same way, Mitsu noticed a similar expression on Gabriel's face as he was trying even less to conceal his boredom.

"_If he isn't even going to take this seriously, then why bother coming here?"_ Mitsu asked, looking over at Natsu again, seeing his notebook almost completely full with different kinds of formulas. _"Like oil and water, those two. They both seem to hate this just as much, and yet it's like they're forcing themselves to do this. But why? Gabriel needs to pass his finals to keep himself from having to take summer school, and missing out on working, but Natsu-kun, he seems to be legitimately forcing himself to do this."_

Over where Gabriel was seated, each passing second to seem pass by all the slower as the silence was broken only by the nondescript whispers between people, noting flaws in the formulation, small instructions of equation balancing, and all other manner of questions. Gabriel's mind, however, was filled with a different sound; it wasn't sad, more like it was angry. Each voice he could hear in his mind was shouting at him, small silhouettes forming in his mind, and began to look as though they were throwing something. Among them, a single person simply stood by and watched as the others pelted something with a flurry of stones until they stepped in their way. Flinching as the shadows began to morph back into nothingness, Gabriel looked back forward, seeing Natsu staring at him through his peripheral.

"_He knows something,"_ Gabriel said, looking back down at his work, still seeing the small flickering of Natsu's eyes towards him. _"Just by looking at me, he can already tell that much about me. What else does he know, and isn't telling us?"_ he asked, hearing one of the pencils being placed back on the table, all of the people in the room looking up to see Kaname straightening out his back.

"No offense to the rest of you, but I think that cramming like this isn't the way to do things," he said, the others silently agreeing. "I say we come back to this after a bit of battle training, what do you say?" he asked, Gabriel giving a large sigh of relief as Maaya's tension began to rise through the roof as she gave a loud cheer.

"All right, now that's what I'm talking about," she said excitedly, pointing over to Natsu. "It's time I finally get some payback for our first battle," she declared, Natsu chuckling nervously with a bead of sweat dropping from his forehead, Mitsu sneering slightly.

"Why not make things more interesting, and make them all tag team battles?" she suggested, Maaya looking down at her surprised, but still satisfied with the idea. "I'll battle on Maaya-chan's team, and how about Gabriel-senpai battles with Natsu-kun," she said, telling the others to divvy up the pairings for the rest of them amongst themselves.

* * *

As all twelve people stood up with their pokémon following after, Natsu looked back at Gabriel, the rock type trainer giving a thumbs-up to his partner, eliciting a smile from him, even if just for a moment. The large field out behind the ghost dorm was designed for simple battles, having a single battlefield marked, most of it done like an amateur. As per Mitsu's suggestion, the battles were placed in tag-team matches with each team having two people; Mitsu and Maaya against Natsu and Gabriel, Kaname and Sienna against Judai and June, and Amira and Takeru against Jiro and Mika. Deciding their own practice to be first, Mitsu and Maaya walked to one end of the battlefield, and Natsu and Gabriel did the same, standing on the opposite side.

After stepping out from the dorm with them, Koichi saw that all four battlers had already taken their places with the other eight watching, and walked towards the center field with Natsu's and Mitsu's teams. Lifting up his hands, Koichi saw their main battling pokémon were readying themselves, throwing his hands down in a single motion, all four pokémon converging at the center of the their respective battlefields. Natsu looked over across the edge of his battlefield, seeing Maaya's eyes all too excited for this, but Mitsu's a bit different. She was expecting something, something Natsu wasn't sure would be a good idea to show her.

"Hitmonlee, we'll finish this fast," Maaya said, pointing down across the way to Golett. "Show them that we're no one-trick Ponyta," she said, Hitmonlee charging forwards first, toward Golett, extending its right leg as far out as it could. "Last time, I lost to you because of your immunity to my attacks, but I've been training so I could surpass that weakness for a while now, you brat," Maaya explained, Natsu more than a little nervous as to what she meant.

Mere inches away from Golett, Hitmonlee extended its foot even further out, a small flicker appearing from the sole of its foot, eventually erupting into a large cast of fire all around its leg. Thrusting its leg forward, Hitmonlee struck Golett directly in the chest, the ground type caught off guard from the shock of its new move. Sliding across the grassy field, Golett pushed Hitmonlee back towards the other end of the field, Natsu still left surprised.

"_Her Hitmonlee can use Blaze Kick now?"_ Natsu questioned, seeing only a small flame left from the attack burning on Hitmonlee's foot before stopping it out. _"That means the weakness Hitmonlee had of not being able to fight my ghost types is completely ineffective now. Now what do we do?"_ he kept asking, seeing Gabriel's Tirtouga groggily moving out to the middle of the battlefield, its trainer smirking at his teammate.

"Kohashigawa, you're gonna have to run defense for this battle," Gabriel said. "Tirtouga should have enough power to dowse that Hitmonlee's attack if it should come again, but right now it's not going to be enough to also take care of that Sneasel," he explained, referencing Mitsu's pokémon. "Here's the plan…," he said, whispering it into Natsu's ear, a look of shock on his face, looking back up at him surprised. "Now! Tirtouga, use Shell Smash," he called out, the water and rock type beginning to shake itself violently as Sneasel began running through the field towards its target.

"Sneasel, as soon as he's done with the attack, get ready with a Metal Claw," Mitsu said calmly, folding her arms over her chest as Sneasel continued speeding across the stage, making a zigzag pattern as it ran at Tirtouga, the pokémon's shell beginning to look as though it had been whittled away at, small chunks of stone falling from it.

"_Shell Smash automatically raises a pokémon's attack, special attack, and speed stats, but also greatly decreases the same pokémon's defense and special defense stats,"_ Natsu relayed in his head. _"If Gabriel-senpai is planning to raise his attack, and for me to play defense, what does want me to do?"_ he asked, looking out at the battlefield, Sneasel within a few seconds of attack Tirtouga, the fossil pokémon allowing the last few pieces of its excess shell to be taken off. _"That's it!"_ Natsu realized calling out to Golett, and simply motioning for Tirtouga.

As Sneasel brought its claw down, the normal bone structure quickly turning to cold steel, slashing down on Tirtouga, it's attack was cut short by a single outstretched arm from Golett, the ground pokémon standing so it faced Tirtouga. Seeing the same kind of metallic sheen on its body, Mitsu chuckled slightly as she snapped her fingers, Sneasel jumping directly over Golett's shoulders, and back towards Tirtouga. As though within the same instance, Golett gripped onto Sneasel's leg, and pulled the dark and ice type back down to the ground, throwing it across the field. Gabriel, seeing the action Golett took, and smirked at his partner.

"Now, it's our turn," Gabriel said. "Tirtouga, blast 'em with Hydro Pump!" he commanded, Tirtouga rearing its head back, and then thrusting it forward with a continuous stream of water being forced through it. "Try to get past this, why don't you?"

Both Hitmonlee and Sneasel saw the path of the attack, and expertly jumped out of its path, allowing it to easily pass by them, Sneasel looking back forward to see Golett almost flying to it with a fist glowing in power. Spinning around once in the air, Golett caught Sneasel, carrying it with the force of its attack, and then launching it across the field on its back, damaged, but not beaten. As Hitmonlee charged back forward at Tirtouga, the fighting type launched itself off into the air, seeing Golett charging towards it. While in the air, Hitmonlee began tumbling end over end, eventually breaking out of the stance, and extending its leg down at Tirtouga.

"Tirtouga," Gabriel started. "Stone Edge," he said casually, Tirtouga's eyes beginning to shine in a harsh light as the ground beneath it began to rumble uncontrollably. "Being able to dodge from the ground as a land-based pokémon is much easier than dodging from the air, you know."

As if on cue, a series of small, sharpened stones began to expel themselves from the ground, and shoot themselves up towards Hitmonlee, still in midair, and unable to change the direction it fell in. Seeing the stones about to attack it, Hitmonlee began to curl its body into another ball, and then tumbled in the air once more, swinging its other leg downward, forcing the stones back down to the ground, stabbing into the soil, or being broken apart by the sheer force of Hitmonlee's kicking power.

Hitmonlee sneered down at Tirtouga, now on a clear course down to where it was sitting helplessly, simply looking up at its assailant, with no visible fear in its eyes. Making a final flip in the air, Hitmonlee kicked straight down, seeing a small movement in Tirtouga, barely noticeable to anyone else. Within seconds, Maaya was left in shock, seeing her Hitmonlee flying through the air, parts of its body scratched up, several sharp stones flying out just over its body. Gabriel simply looked down at the battlefield, his smile confident, staring down at Maaya, shrugging his shoulders as a means of mocking.

As Hitmonlee stood back up, and charged back at Tirtouga, the fighting type pokémon was met by an even quicker blow as another powerful blast of water attacked it, Tirtouga barely moving as its Hydro Pump attack continued on. Hitmonlee, doing its best to fight the attack off instead of dodging off to the side, swung its leg around, trying to block some of the water, began to spin constantly on a single leg with the other acting more like a kind of barrier, blocking as much water as it could. Looking off to its side, Hitmonlee could see Golett beginning to charge at it, cringing slightly as it kept its focus on pushing back Tirtouga's Hydro Pump. Expecting its attack sooner, Hitmonlee opened its eyes, seeing Sneasel beginning to fight it back, slashing at the ghost and ground mix with its claws coated in metal, Golett's body coating itself in the same way.

"_Metal Claw is constantly increasing Mitsu-senpai's attack power, but Iron Defense is keeping the damage from growing at too fast a rate,"_ Natsu said, looking over at Gabriel, his eyes completely focused on the battle in front of him. _"It's like he's a different person in battle. Back when we were studying for the academics, he was half-asleep, barely paying attention, but now that he's in battle, it's like everything has been increased for him. His drive, his desire, and his motivation to win,"_ he said, looking out at the battlefield, Golett holding its arms in defense while hardening its body with Iron Defense, and Sneasel constantly slashing at with Iron Claw. _"Why is Mitsu-senpai fighting so seriously? She's not going to have enough energy with her Sneasel to do well on her test. So why?"_

"_Come on, kid,"_ Mitsu said to herself, gritting her teeth slightly. _"Show me that side of you. That old man knows who you are, and soon I will too, but you have to fight me with all your strength, otherwise you'll lose the respect of your pokémon. Would you trade that for your own protection?"_ she asked, half expecting Natsu to answer.

Despite her wishes, Golett did nothing to fight back, just defended against her attacks, Sneasel constantly attacking it with its claws glowing in a deep red sheen with each increase of its attack state. Seeing Golett's stats raise in the same way, a green light surrounding it with the elevation of its defensive power, Mitsu chuckled slightly, motioning for Sneasel.

"Sneasel, we've had enough fun," she said, Natsu looking up at her with a nervous look on his eyes. "We won't see it today. End this with Punishment," she commanded calmly, Sneasel jumping back away from Golett, holding both of its claws over its face.

Sneasel snickered as both of its claws, and the majority of its forearms were cloaked in a alternating black and red light, the colors converging faster and faster together as it made a quick dash for Sneasel. Gabriel, taking his eyes off of Tirtouga and Hitmonlee, their continuous stalemate continuing, saw the attack beginning to charge with Sneasel, and Golett placing its arms over its body.

"Kohashigawa! Don't do it!" he shouted, Natsu giving the frantic order for another Iron Defense, Golett's body beginning to harden with a metal sheen over its body. "Tirtouga, cover him!" he shouted, Tirtouga breaking off the attack, speeding as much as it could into Sneasel's path, but even the increase in speed wasn't enough to get in the way of Mitsu's pokémon.

Running its claws against the ground, Sneasel gave out a large roar before slashing directly downward at Golett, Tirtouga not having enough time to reach it, the resulting explosion, almost enough to engulf the entire back area. As the black and red shadows began to disappear away from where Sneasel struck down, and the dust in the air dissipated, Sneasel looked up, and could see Golett standing firm in its place. Some of the other trainers began to cheer before Takeru began counting down on his fingers, reaching zero with Golett falling down to the ground beneath it. It's fall was instant, no bending in its knees, and instead was like a wall falling down flat. Natsu held out his pokéball, returning Golett, the fallen warrior giving a hollow sigh.

"Punishment causes more damage the more an opponent's pokémon's stats have increased," Natsu said. "I wasn't thinking, and because of that, I lost. I'm sorry, Gabriel-senpai," he said bowing as Gabriel turned his head back to the battlefield.

"Tirtouga, we're done having our fun," Gabriel said, cracking his neck from side to side. "Use two more Shell Smash attacks, and finish this," he said, Tirtouga flipping onto its back, and shattering more of its shell as it did.

Repeating this process one more time, Tirtouga's original tough exterior was replaced by a thin stone layer, almost revealing the rest of its body. Looking at the pathetic state of its defenses, Hitmonlee was the first to attack, running up to it, and swinging a single kick down towards the ground like an axe. As it landed, Hitmonlee was met by a quick attack from behind, more sharpened stones bludgeoning its body before it fell to its knees, Tirtouga already behind it, no emotion in its eyes, but only the battle its only focus. Watching Hitmonlee fall to the ground face first, Maaya quickly returned it, not showing any reaction, but obviously infuriated as she gripped her pokéball.

"We end this now, Ichihana," Gabriel said, snapping his fingers as Tirtouga quickly turned around to face Sneasel, both of the pokémon looking like they were ready to attack.

Letting out a wild cackle, Sneasel held out its claws, the same black and red shadow erupting from the ends of its arms, the amount of stat changes in Tirtouga creating a massive amount of power in Sneasel's Punishment. Taking a small jump in its first step, Sneasel began running, barely touching the ground with its feet, its claws outstretched behind it. Tirtouga simply reared its body back, looking like it was ready to strike, but always waited, allowing Sneasel to slash down with its attack, an even larger explosion occurring from the increased in stat growth for the opponent. As the dust cleared, the others saw Sneasel inches away from Tirtouga, its arms beginning to release the shadows into the air.

"And so it ends," Gabriel said, Sneasel falling to the ground, it's body drenched. "One Hydro Pump from point-blank range is enough to make most pokémon faint. Constant use of Shell Smash makes it so my speed increases with each use, and really it was all a matter of whether your Sneasel was faster than my Tirtouga," he said, Mitsu returning Sneasel to her pokéball.

Walking back away from the battlefield, Gabriel took a seat back inside the ghost dorm, laying himself out on the large sofa, four of the other students walking towards the battlefield, and Koichi motioning for Natsu. As soon as Natsu walked up to him, he was pulled aside, the others barely noticing as Koichi pulled Natsu's head close enough to speak without being heard by anyone else.

"What was that?" he asked, probably referring to his previous defeat. "You knew all about Punishment's effect on a pokémon that kept using status moves, and yet you used it directly before, making things even worse. Explain that to me."

"The way Mitsu-senpai stared at me," Natsu began, looking back at Mitsu as she leaned against the siding of the dorm building. "She knows something. When I first met her, she didn't strike me as a person who could be so violent in battle, and even then, she would never push her pokémon so hard to the point of exhaustion. She was trying to force something out of me. I think she's been figuring something pretty particular about me, and I think you know who I'm referring to," he said, Koichi nodding as he answered. "I can't say anything for sure, so at the time, it was just easier to throw the match to keep suspicions from being placed on me."

* * *

The other two battles went on without so much as a hint of overexertion from the pokémon, or the trainers, Natsu being one of the first to walk in, finding Gabriel still asleep on the couch, and then walked over into the kitchen area.

"You guys can keep on studying, I'm going to make us something to eat," Natsu said, Koichi following him inside. "I don't really need any help with this, sensei. I know how to make enough food for everyone," he said, Koichi not exactly looking as though he were going to help.

"I'm not worried about that," Koichi said. "Besides, I can't cook, you know that. I'm more worried about the fact that you suspect Ichihana-san of knowing about Reaper. I mean, when do you think she put it all together? This obviously wasn't a long time coming, otherwise we'd see something in the way she looked at over the last few weeks. She probably came to revelation a little while ago, probably not more than a week. Did anything happen then?"

"Just the day that Jiro-senpai went on his date," Natsu answered.

"You guys all separated after you and Ryuzaki put your plan into action," Koichi reminded him. "Something may have happened at that time, and maybe she found something, or some_one_, who knew something. Do you think she got Ryuzaki to talk?"

"As long as he plans to get me into a relationship with Amira-senpai, he seems to be keeping himself pretty tight-lipped about the whole thing," Natsu said, looking out at the others, acting much like how they were earlier, but he noticed how much more serious minded Gabriel was. "Besides, it's just a thought I had to try and explain why she was battling so hardcore with Sneasel. It's nothing more than an idea I had."

"For your sake, let's hope so," Koichi said, walking back out, watching the others as they worked, and turning his gaze onto Mitsu. _"If she really does know something, she's either very good at keeping it a secret, or not too sure of her suspicions yet. Reaper is still a prominent figure within the world of underground battling, but his appearances have been far and few between, making suspicions about him rise."_

As Natsu walked out of the kitchen, holding a few trays, the others quickly removed their materials, watching him place each of the large trays on the table, both of them having six different smaller trays with a basic meal for each of them.

"Wow, bro, that looks good," Judai noted, leaning over to Amira. "Keep that in mind when ya think of who your boyfriend's gonna be; my bro can cook, and turn that ol' phrase around on ya. The best way to anyone's heart is their stomach," he said, Amira's face becoming a distinct red tint, as Natsu leaned over towards him, Judai shrugging his shoulders. "Call it sowin' the seeds of love. You'll be thankin' me for this later, I assure ya."

"I doubt that," Natsu said quietly as he took his seat with the others, everyone else having already started eating. _"Well, they seem to like it,"_ he said to himself, content with the job he had done. _"With my elective being cooking, I guess it's good I got this practice in before my test," _he said, noticing the way Gabriel was posed. With one hand on his food, feeding himself, and the other still looking through his textbook, writing down everything he saw, Natsu couldn't help but smirk. _"I guess he's finally starting to get serious about this."_

* * *

As the others finished up their own meals, Natsu began taking much of their trays away, Judai suggesting to Amira that she help with the dishes, to which she reluctantly agreed. Back in the kitchen, the two began washing dishes in silence, Judai and Maaya peeking their heads inside while the others were taking a break from their own studying, minus Gabriel, still busily writing in his notebook, not stopping despite the others telling him to. As both Natsu and Amira were trapped in the small space, the two continued passing dishes in between each other in near, until Natsu reached his hand out a bit too far, causing Amira to shriek slightly as Natsu caught the plate before it fell to the ground.

"I-I'm sorry, Amira-senpai," Natsu said, backing up a bit so he could in apology.

"_No, it was my fault for being afraid of everything,"_ Amira replied with her notepad, grabbing the next dish, trying to act as though nothing had just happened.

"Um…," Natsu started out, Amira turning to him, both of their faces colored red. "A-Amira-senpai? I-If you want to, s-sometime, maybe, y-you'd like to go…," he started, Judai's mouth almost becoming from dislocated from his jaw at where the sentence was leading, watching Natsu continually stumbling over his words as he tried to force the last part out.

"What are you two doing in here!" Maaya shouted from the door, Natsu instantly straightening up before turning back away from the door and Maaya. "Hey, Amira, he can take care of the rest, why don't you help us out here? One of these problems doesn't make sense," she said, Judai opening his mouth in anger about to say something before clenching his jaw and running into the kitchen next to Natsu.

"Bro, what happened?" he asked, almost frantically. "Ya were this close. Ya could've had an actual date with Amira-senpai. Why does this always have to happen? It's like Arceus is tryin' to drive the two of ya so far apart, you'll be in separate regions by the end of this."

"He may as well," Natsu said, holding himself up on the counter, looking as though he were going to cry. "I was thinking of everything you've done to help me get close to her, and yet my mouth wouldn't let the words come out. I thought the hard work that Gabriel-senpai is doing to pass his finals, and here I am, not doing anything important because I'm too afraid of letting people know who I am," he said, tensing up his grip on the counter top. "Sometimes I wish I was more like you, Judai. You're so cool with the way you can always joke around with people, and the way you can look at the good in any kind of situation."

"Hey, bro, listen," Judai started, leaning his back against the countertop next to Natsu. "I was told a long time that no matter who you are, if there's a person who loves ya, they won't care how long they have to wait. The people we love are the kinds that don't care how long they wait, they only care about the end, not the means."

"Are you sure?" Natsu asked.

"Of course, 'sides if Amira-senpai does like ya, she'll probably more apt to make the first move, anyway, so ya could just present yourself on a silver platter," he said, chuckling as he saw Natsu's face turning a bright red color as he quickly went back to washing the remaining dishes. _"Ah, my bro, I'll get the two of ya together, yet, just ya wait."_

* * *

As Natsu walked back out of the kitchen, he saw Koichi curled into a small ball, mumbling pathetically as he looked out in the room, and saw the others beginning to grab their things.

"Are you guys leaving already?" he asked, receiving a quick hug from June.

"Why? Did you really want me to spend the night with you?" she asked as Natsu began to heat with the blush. "We still have other things to get ready for, and it's not late, anyway. Hey, it's not like it's gonna get any darker for me, so it's not that big of a deal. We'll probably get to hang out more after summer begins. Can't wait to see you on the beach, Natsu-kun," she said with a wink as Natsu shuddered slightly.

"Thanks for letting me come over to study, back at my place, it doesn't come easy," Gabriel said, one of the last people to leave before Natsu grabbed his arm. "Can I help you with something, Kohashigawa?" he asked, Natsu leading him outside the dorm, and out past the side of the building. "So what is this? Some kind of interrogation?"

"I just want to know," Natsu began. "Why did you get so much more serious towards the end of that battle, and during your studying after we came back in?" he asked, Gabriel chuckling slightly as he sat down in the grass, leaning the back of his head against the wall.

"When I was a kid, I wasn't really allowed to play with the others at my school, or around town," Gabriel said. "The family name tends to carry a lot of water, but only when you're an adult, but it only means that you're not supposed to be played with when you're a kid. Born with the Volantis name isn't something I like to brag about, especially when people only know me for what my parents are known for, and when I would go out looking for people to play with, it was a time where I could hang out with people like me. Social outcasts are the people at the most extreme ends of the socio-economic ladder, the incredibly wealthy, and the extremely poor."

"Did you ever find any friends?" Natsu asked.

"Eventually, but at first, they didn't want to be around me, either," he said, the silhouettes of the children throwing rocks at his younger self. "They thought I was just looking down on them, trying to give them charity of being a rich kid's friend. Maybe that's how it was back then, but I soon found that they were giving me the charity. There was this girl that was this orphanage I used to visit all the time, Carmen. Oh, she was such a fun girl to be around. Everyone loved her, and when I had to leave for this school, it felt like I was being taken away from the most important thing in my life."

"Did you ever see her again?" Natsu kept inquiring, Gabriel more than happy to answer.

"Every time I go back to Castelia," he answered. "But when I met you, there was a reason I challenged you to a battle almost immediately. I wanted to see how much we were a like; two people, keeping such big secrets from everyone, but starting out with nobody else in our lives. When I look at you, I see the boy I used to be, searching for the people I thought I could help, but instead find that you're being helped all the time."

"I feel like I'm being helped all the time," Natsu admitted. "Every day I spend in this school is like a new adventure for me. Between the people who all love me, and the people who would rather see me dead, it's like I'm still in training, and every day I'm on a new route in Unova, just trying to survive with my partners."

"I believe that people should be themselves all the time, Kohashigawa," Gabriel said, standing back up. "If you have to have people help you, instead of being to help them, but you find friends out of it, I say it's better than helping everyone, and having no friends from it. Nobody should have to live the way I did for so long. I have no regrets about the way I lived my life, but nobody should have to look at my life with envy."

You still didn't answer my question," Natsu noted as Gabriel gave a large sigh before stuffing his hands into his pockets.

"When I saw you holding back against Yoshida and Ichihana, I saw even more of myself in you," Gabriel said. "People look at us as the best this place has to offer, and I think you deserve better than that. You don't have to be some school idol; you're not like the rest of us, I wanted you to see what you could've done to win that battle, because I know that when we all battle at the end of this school year, you are going to be the one that shows all of us what true power is."

"I've read a lot about the legends of Aura, and how that we all seem to have our own essence that tells people who we truly are inside, like with astrology," Natsu started. "And when I think of you, Gabriel-senpai, I don't think that I could narrow you down to a single kind of Aura. I know that you have an Aura of Wisdom; you understand that the end is really the most important thing, but along with that, there are the means in which they are taken through."

"So you already knew why I was studying harder afterwards," Gabriel said.

"The other Aura is something I don't think a lot of people see in you a lot," Natsu started. "When I look at you, I see a gentle Aura, an Aura of Compassion. You think of others at all times; everything you do is for someone else, and you never expect anything out of it. You've helped me, and the rest of us, so many times, and I don't think I've ever thanked you for that. So let me say it now; thank you."

Gabriel was speechless; they were such simple words, why did they convey such meaning. His mind could see the silhouette of the girl holding her arm out for Gabriel's younger self, keeping the other kids from throwing more rocks. He began questioning himself; did he ever say thank you? Did he ever tell that person what her actions meant? Would he ever? Gabriel's mind was full of unanswered questions, but all he knew right then and there was that Natsu was even more formidable in his eyes now than ever. Gabriel began walking back to his dorm, ruffling up Natsu's hair as he walked by, Natsu following directly after, suddenly finding his path blocked by Mitsu.

"Mitsu-senpai," Natsu said, still a bit shocked form seeing her so suddenly. "Is there something I can do for you?" he asked, Mitsu shrugging her shoulders as she began walking away from the building towards her own.

"The Don sends his regards," Mitsu said, calmly, but confidently. Natsu stood there, motionless, his eyes conveying confusion; it wasn't what she wanted to see, and so just walked away. _"Maybe I'm just being silly. Even still, he might be as good an actor as me,"_ she said to herself, seeing Natsu walk into his dorm building, Koichi still crushed that the others hadn't stayed like he wanted them to.

Seeing Natsu in the state he was in, though, Koichi stood back up, seeing the look of shock and fear on his face. His eyes were wide, scared, and shaking as he looked down at his hands, looking as though they were flashing as rapidly as possible. He looked up, the scenery of the room gone, and nothing but the form of a large man, his suit a midnight black, his face covered by a large fedora hat, but his laugh; it was all he needed to terrify Natsu. Cackling like he had just won something, the man in his mind struck the ground beneath him with a cane, and walked away. With each of the sights passing by like pictures being thrown back and forth, Natsu held his head in pain, Koichi grabbing onto him to keep him steady.

"Natsu, what is it, what's wrong?" he asked, Natsu's eyes still shot, and trembling in his teacher's grip. "You're normally not like this, what scared you?"

"The Don," Natsu said. "The Don's back…"

* * *

Characters:

Gabriel Volantis: Archen & Tirtouga. WereDragon EX

Natsu Kohashigawa: Lampent & Golett. NightFall00

Judai Ryuzaki: Monferno & Torkoal. Jexo

Amira Khumalo: Kirlia & Duosion. FlyPandaBear

Maaya Yoshida: Hitmonchan & Hitmonlee. Emmausgirl94

Takeru Sanjero: Mothim & Heracross. Moth's Aflame

Jiro Matsushita: Bibarel & Tauros. GoldenfeatherKyru

Mika Saito: Ledian & Pidgeotto. Cyanide the Sneasel

June Kurosaki: Lairon & Skarmory. Lady Island Rose

Kaname Misaki: Sableye & Absol. Ariesbird

Sienna Smith: Vibrava & Fraxure. Fluttersong

Mitsuta "Mitsu" Ichihana: Glaceon & Sneasel. Crossroader92

* * *

Chapter ten complete. I am so sorry that took so long, but with me trying to get a passport and everything else in my life, it's been difficult. Sorry for making an excuse like that, and with my other stories I wanted to bring this one back in the public eye, and I think I'm making some real progress with this story. Obviously, it's been going pretty well by the reviews I've gotten, and chances are, I'll be able to update within the next week, because the next chapter is the one I wanted to do in the first place. Yes, it is going to be June's chapter, and I am really excited about it. As always, thank you for reading my chapter, and I apologize for the length, it's my OCD, I just hope you found the content to be enjoyable, and foreshadowing into events, yet to pass. Until we meet again, ja nee.


End file.
